Twisted Angel
by SweetCharades
Summary: Elizabeth Webber just arrived in Port Charles and applies for an interesting job with Jason Morgan. Liason, Sonny Corinthos
1. Chapter 1

Numb.

If someone asked for a word used to describe Elizabeth Webber at the moment, numb would about sum it up

She blew at the wet, dark brown bangs that dangled in her face with a loud huff. Leave it to her to arrive in New York while they were in the middle of a blizzard. Now she was stuck struggling to get inside the bus station before her clothes became damp once again.

Mental note Elizabeth, next road trip, investigate the weather beforehand.

Although, she really wasn't sure how that was possible. She still wasn't aware of where she was going. Her main goal was to make it into the tiny building ahead where passengers waited for their love ones or slept until the next bus arrived. She however was different; she needed to check her make up.

As she stepped over the threshold of the slightly dingy and very old bus depot she shook herself, disengaging any remaining snowflakes that wanted to make a home in her hair. It was bad enough she was wearing her brand new three and a half inch leather boots in this weather, she didn't want to have a wet head to go along with it.

Taking a quick look around, Elizabeth located the ladies bathroom and skirted around the growing crowd. She hoped that she wouldn't be stuck here for long. Granted she had nowhere to be, but crowded in a little room with a bunch of strangers wasn't her idea of a fun time.

Two nights ago in Greenwich Connecticut, that was a fun time, she thought smiling to herself.

With a disgusted grunt she took a look at herself in the mirror. Major repair was needed. Lifting her large black overnight bag up on the sink, she dug around for her make up kit and brush. Once grasping those items she set to work, dropping the bag with the light green ribbon on the floor.

That ribbon had found itself attached to the oversized black sack when some rude airline assistant insisted it was too large for her to carry on. It took her an hour to find the thing after the plane landed and she swore that would never happen again. So she found some ribbon in a Walmart, cut off a piece with a pair of borrowed scissors from the stationary aisle and made sure she never lost the big thing again.

The bag she was now tapping her foot against contained her whole life; she'd be damn if she lost that.

After reapplying some mascara she stepped back and nodded, satisfied this would hold till the next city. She wondered what the next city was. How far till Jersey or Pennsylvania? Maybe she'd even go to Maryland. It'd be fun to see the aquarium again.

Dropping her kit back in her bag, she hoisted it over her shoulder and made her way into the crowded waiting area of the bus station. People were arguing and complaining and she could only assume the service had been canceled until the storm was over.

Sighing she dropped down on the nearest bench and decided to wait it out. What else could she do, stay here?

Looking around, she quickly dismissed the idea. Most of these people looked like they wanted to get out of this town and fast. Snapping her gum she reached for the discarded newspaper that lay on the seat next to her.

_Port Charles Herald_, screamed the front page, _Sonny Corinthos to open new club; FBI to launch another investigation_

Elizabeth's eyes briefly skimmed the article. Why did that name sound familiar? Sonny Corinthos, Sonny Corinthos. Repeating it over and over in her head didn't ring any bells; neither did reading about his new club, Lily's.

She opened the paper further and started flipping through the sections. Local charity events were mentioned, hospital volunteers wanted, obituaries, continue your education at PCU, jobs…

Jobs.

She stopped mostly for kicks, wondering what a town with a population no bigger than a thousand could have to offer. Nurses wanted at General and Mercy Hospital's, assistants at some coffee warehouse, Kelly's diner looking for waitress and then, she saw it.

It was in small bold letter, the words 'Wanted' with a description of the job underneath. She read it quickly, skimming the contact information and the when and where. Interviews ended at seven p.m.

Elizabeth quickly looked at her watch and knew with the storm she would never make it on time. But maybe, just maybe…

She folded up the paper and stood up as quick as she could with a ten pound bag and spiked heels. She looked around quickly for the transportation sign that pointed to limo pick ups and cabs. She hurried out the door no longer caring about the snow or the delay in bus service.

Port Charles was the place she wanted to be, for now anyway.

Jason Morgan sighed as he brought his fingers to his temples and started to massage them slowly. He couldn't believe they were opening today. He knew this was too soon and Sonny pushed it forward so he could prove that this was a legitimate business, just like the coffee warehouse.

Right.

He still didn't know how he got talked into this. He and Sonny were discussing the cash flow problem they were having. The coffee business was simply making too much money. They needed somewhere else to start filtering their funds through.

Investors were always an option, but one that was quickly dismissed after both Sonny and Jason decided no one in this town was trustworthy. The decision was then made to start up another business.

They tossed around many an idea, including the one that Jason liked most, a bike shop, but an offhanded comment by Sonny's wife is what got him into this place.

Now here he was, standing at the end of a bar, getting ready to open a club and his mentor, his best friend, Sonny, couldn't even be here because he was too busy picking up his son from preschool.

Damn that man.

So Jason was stuck here, behind the bar, by himself, trying to figure out the accounting books in front of him. The figures for the liquor and the food already seemed too high. He was sure that someone was going to get fired before things even started up.

What the hell was this hundred dollar delivery charge? Was the liquor actually driven from Tijuana?

Sonny had told him that things would be pricier with a club due to the name brand liquor they would have to serve and the exotic chef he was bringing in. Jason was just so use to coffee prices that this was staggering.

If he read the sheets in front of him right, they were actually going to charge seven dollars for mixed drinks with vodka simply because it was distilled in a certain place in New York.

He would take thirteen cents a pound coffee from Columbia any day.

He pulled another sheet of paper out from the back of the book and quickly scanned it. There were three bartenders working tonight and at least a half of dozen waitresses. Running his pen along the page he noticed something was off, they were one short. He didn't know how he overlooked this.

It couldn't have anything to do with the lack of sleep and working overtime lately.

He wasn't one to complain about his job, he loved working for Sonny. He was good at it. But there was a big difference between being a hit man and being a barman. Sonny swore it was just until things got started, just until it got off the ground or the Feds off their back.

Jason didn't know if he could wait that long.

Picking up the sheet of paper he turned around to search out the person who was in charge of hiring when he noticed the door swing open and a gust of snow burst in along with the frigid air. Then, he saw a tiny body follow it, with a very large bag.

"Hi," she smiled as her face emerged from the tiny gray pea coat, "I'm looking for Johnny."

Jason looked at the scrap of a girl-woman who couldn't be more than sixteen at best. She was sliding her hands out of the coat and started to warm them up by rubbing them together. Her shoes were covered in ridiculously high heeled boots that ran up to just below her knee. That's where her black skirt came in.

Obviously she wasn't from around here.

And he wanted to know what the hell she wanted with Johnny.

"Who are you and what do you want with Johnny?"

Elizabeth's face took on a bewildered look as she watched the man cross his arms across his chest. He seemed a little annoyed, like she was disturbing him. Quite rude actually, but very tasty looking. He stood there in a pair of motorcycle boots and relaxed fit jeans. He wore a navy blue tee shirt that seemed to emphasize his blue eyes, which were glaring icily at her.

She didn't know what his problem was. She knew that tonight was opening night and that her chances of getting a job here were slim but if this was his idea of friendly customer service, this club was in trouble.

Being that she needed a job however, she kept all comments to herself and cleared her throat as she dug through her bag and produced the paper.

"I'm here about the job," she said offering another smile.

He still sulked and looked at her with a stony façade and those beautiful eyes. Cute hair too, albeit a little spiky for her taste.

Jason grabbed the paper and scanned it quickly, finding the part that she had circled. It was the wanted ad that he and Sonny had agreed to place in the Herald for applicants. Little were the two men aware that the people interviewing were told to go through Johnny.

He was going to kill him.

After he dismissed the she-child in front of him.

"I apologize," he started. "You're unable to fill the position."

She frowned. She couldn't have come all this way…

"You filled it already? I mean, this is only from yesterday," she started as she unbuttoned her coat.

Maybe if he just saw her figure, she thought.

Jason watched with curiosity as she placed the bag on an empty table and started to pull her coat off. Was she trying to seduce him into giving her a job? A rare smile tugged at his lips. This could get interesting. She was a pretty little thing, as far as jailbait was concerned.

She was very tiny; it was obvious the heels she wore were supposed to add to her height. Jason couldn't image her being taller than five foot. As his eyes wondered over her snow covered hair, her porcelain like face, her perfectly formed breasts and that tiny waist he was sure he could encircle with his two hands.

Jailbait, he reminded himself as he cleared his throat, definitely jailbait.

Elizabeth smiled as she pulled her v-neck shirt tighter against her body. She was affecting him and she liked that; whatever helped her get a paying job. She took a risk and took one step closer.

"If you want, I could interview with you," she smiled up at him, making sure her eyes shined, "Maybe show you what I could do."

He knew he should have taken a step back from her, letting her continue on with this charade was asking for trouble. Then again he was Jason Morgan. He was trouble.

"I'm really sorry, Miss…"

"Webber," she smiled as she held out her hand, "Elizabeth Webber."

Jason turned his back on her and collected the accounting book and the papers that were in front of him, "We don't hire people under age."

He heard her sigh, rather loudly and then the stomping of heels as they headed back over to the table where her bag lay. Hearing her rummaging through the sack, her hand came around the side of his face and displayed what she was looking for. One was a driver's linked back to Connecticut and the other was a birth certificate.

"In case you thought the ID was fake," she said, an annoyed look on her face. She rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, grimacing when they came back wet, "I get it all the time, I should be use to it now."

"You're 18?" he questioned.

He didn't believe it. His sixteen year old sister looked older than her, then again Emily had been through a couple of rough patches in her life. This girl looked like she just stepped out of one of teen magazines.

"I know that you don't believe me," she said. "But you can call the hospital and the state of Connecticut if it helps to verify things. Just please hurry up, I still have to interview with whoever Johnny is and I know that you open tonight."

Jason still hesitated looking over the identification thoroughly. He was familiar with the fake ones and this looked authentic, so did the birth certificate.

"I really need this job," she said, gnawing on her lower lip "Even if it's only for tonight."

It was a delicate lip, Jason thought, one he wouldn't mind gnawing on himself.

He shook that thought from his head.

"Do you have anything to get changed into you?"

Her whole face lit up. It was like he had just handed her the world. She took a step forward, looking like she was ready to leap into his arms but then quickly stepped back. She nodded eagerly and pulled her bag back over her shoulder.

"I just have to go find someplace to get ready and I can be back by the opening tonight," she said. "Thank you so much."

"There won't be enough time," he said. "We put showers back there, there's also some rooms available upstairs, it looks like you might need one."

"I do, thank you," she said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

When she didn't seem willing to offer anything else, Jason knew that he was going to have to look into her background. Make sure she was of age to work here and that she really was who she said she was.

He was still a little hesitant about hiring her, if Sonny found out that an underage kid worked in a club he was trying to keep legit, on the books anyway, he would have Jason's hide.

But she was looking at him with those big round eyes, thanking him silently for providing her with money and a roof over her head.

If she turned out to be eighteen he would have to find out what put her into this position, if she turned out to be under the age of eighteen, she'd be fired, he'd be dead and still looking for an answer to that question.

"Tonight will be your tryout," he said as he placed her birth certificate and identification on top of his accounting book. "I can assure you Johnny will be there as well as the owner,"

"Mr. Corinthos," she said. "I read about him in the paper."

Jason rubbed his hand over his forehead. Who didn't read about Sonny Corinthos in the paper?

"That's where you go," he said pointing to a long, narrow hallway to the right of the door she came in. "I'm giving you an opportunity here, Elizabeth, if I find out that you're lying…"

"I'm not," she said. She didn't get a chance to really examine the man in front of her but he looked like someone she wasn't willing to play around with, "And I'm a damn hard worker."

He nodded and pointed towards the back, "Straight back there, follow the noise."

"Thank you, thank you very much, Mister…" she didn't quite catch his name.

"Morgan, Jason Morgan."

She smiled a sweet smile, but he noticed the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. "Thank you Jason Morgan."

Elizabeth felt something flitter in her stomach when she reached for her coat and bag, tossing the long handle over her shoulder. Jason Morgan was another name that sounded eerily familiar, a name she felt she should know. But she shrugged it off as she disappeared down the hallway, knowing that no one would be able to find her in the sleepy little town of Port Charles.

Jason sighed as he watched her disappear from view. He had a few phone calls to make before she went on tonight, to see if he could verify what she was saying. He wanted to have the answers before Sonny started asking questions.

He was heading back to the back office when the door blew open again and Johnny O'Brien stepped inside, his cheeks red from the wind, a smile on his face.

"Max said a pretty little thing came in here about twenty minutes ago," Johnny said smiling, "Did I miss her?"

Jason slapped the paper against Johnny's chest and pointed at the wanted ad. "No, I just hired you a new exotic dancer."


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth slowly made her way down the dimly light hallway, taking in her surroundings. After the first few feet to her left she saw another long hallway that held a door at the end of it. She assumed that led to the back office, which was obviously off limits. Further down the hall she saw an entrance to the kitchen, another leading to the stairs, then came the last door before the exit, the one where all the sound was coming from.

Taking a deep breath she stepped inside and was thrown into another world.

She had been working as an exotic dancer for a while now and never in her many travels did she see a set up such as this. The room was huge, consisting of ten vanities for each of the dancers to use. They were lined up five in a row and then backs toward each other. A row of lockers lined the dark brown walls, each coming with its own key lock. She quickly found the showers; tubs included and were amazed that they seemed clean and almost feminine. She didn't feel like she had to wear flip flops to use them.

Stepping further into the room Elizabeth looked up at the brightly lit ceiling. The light wasn't fluorescent, so the girls would be able to tell how well they and their make-up looked. They had their own separate entrance to the kitchen and a bowl of fruit sat on one of the side tables next to a small bowl of mints.

There were even a few leather chairs and a television set which included a VCR and DVD player.

Was this a hotel convention or a strip club?

Noticing that the room grew silent Elizabeth focused on the vanities in front of her and met nine pairs of eyes, each one curious about her and her background.

Her name was Elizabeth Webber and that's all they were going to know.

"I was just hired," she said with a small smile. "I'm going to hurry up and shower so I don't hold anyone back."

"Nonsense honey," a very tall, very leggy blond woman said as she stood up and approached Elizabeth. She held her hand out as her bright red silk robe swooshed around her. "I'm Peggy, what's your name?"

"I'm Lizzie," Elizabeth said shaking her hand, "It's very nice to meet you."

Peggy shook her hand and then slipped an arm around Elizabeth, "Let me introduce you to the girls. The ones yakking over there by the sinks are Candy and Crystal, they're from upstate, heard about who was running the joint and scurried down here pronto. Becky and Jill are over there," she motioned to two girls applying their make up. They smiled and waved. "This is Rita, Marie and Karen," she said pointing to the three women standing in front of them, "And that's Baby." She said as a girl raised her head from the lockers. "She was a fan of the spice girls."

Baby shrugged and pulled off the top she was wearing, "Whatever works."

"Well, thank you for the introductions," Elizabeth said looking up at Peggy, "Which vanity is open?"

"The one on the other side of mine," Peggy said as she showed Elizabeth, "We've all been here for about a week practicing. We didn't actually think the owner would fill the tenth spot before tonight."

"I just happened to see the ad," Elizabeth said, "Figured I'd stop in."

"This ain't no walk in the park sweetie," Elizabeth heard from the woman named Candy behind her. She smirked as she popped her gum.

Elizabeth shook her head and placed her bag down on the floor in front of her. "I think I can handle it."

"Mr. Corinthos is going to want perfection," Crystal said, "Did you even show him your real resume?"

"Sonny Corinthos," she said quietly.

There was that name again, the ringing was back in Elizabeth's head, a buzz forming around it, almost warning her that she was stepping into something she might regret.

Damn't, if only she could place that name.

"Yes, Sonny Corinthos," Peggy gushed. "None of us ever thought we'd be working for _the_ Sonny Corinthos."

"Or even _the_ Jason Morgan," Becky said on a sigh. "Those jeans."

Then it hit her, like a pale of ice cold water to the face. Elizabeth felt herself slowly sit down on the chair in front of the vanity, grateful she was near it.

_The_ Sonny Corinthos. _The_ Jason Morgan. _The_ Port Charles Mafia.

"Someone looks a little pale," Candy laughed.

"Don't listen to her," Peggy said. "This is a legitimate place and Mr. Corinthos has all the legal paperwork necessary to run it. Don't believe a thing you hear, they're good people and they're not going to involve us in_ that_ side of their business. Now hurry up, we only have about an hour."

Peggy disappeared to her own vanity and Elizabeth placed her head in her hands, willing the world to stop spinning around her.

She was now working for Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan. Jason Morgan was the man who had officially hired her. She was stripping at a club that was probably just a front for some illegal funds to be shifted through.

Elizabeth had just stepped back into the world she was running from.

"Sonny let you know when you were off book duty." Johnny asked as Jason opened a beer.

Jason shook his head and ran his fingers through his spiky hair, "I'm just grateful he didn't ask me to wear a suit like everyone else," he motioned pointing to the bodyguard. "Was Sonny aware that you were the one interviewing the strippers?"

Johnny shrugged, "Sonny asked me to watch the girls. I only felt it was part of my job to be the one interviewing them. You know, make sure they're clean.

Jason felt a smile tug at his lips. "Did you make them do a tryout? You know, make sure they weren't packing?"

Johnny laughed as he brought his own beer to his lips, "They all checked out."

All but one, Jason thought as he reached for a manila folder in front of him and handed it over to Johnny.

"Research for later," he said. "I have a feeling the new hire isn't what she seems to be."

"Her identity?" Johnny asked, "You think she's running from something?"

"I think she's got the body of a stripper," Jason said taking another sip of his beer.

"Almost a requirement," Johnny said as he looked at the birth certificate and photo identification on Elizabeth Webber.

"And the face of a fifteen year old."

Johnny looked up at him surprised, "And you hired her?"

"They don't look fake," Jason said pointing out the folder, "I've been through Connecticut before, their genuine IDs. I just want to double check."

"Is she performing tonight?" Johnny asked as he looked down at the folder again, "Jason, Sonny won't deal with another under age person here. He almost went down once, even if you were the one who hired her…"

"I wouldn't jeopardize the club, especially with the fact that we know a few undercover cops are going to be in here tonight," Jason said. "I'm going to speak with her before she goes on stage, have her do something different than the other girls."

"Seduce the undercover cops?" Johnny asked with raised eyebrows.

Jason laughed as he finished off his beer, "That would be too much of a tip off. I'm going to try and intercept Sonny before the girls get on stage. I'd rather he hear it from me."

Johnny looked up at Jason, "He's not going to question who you hire."

Jason nodded as he headed out the door of his office, "Just like I don't question you."

"Elizabeth," Jason said quietly as the girls made their way from the dressing rooms to the back stage area, "I need to speak with you."

"Oohh private talk with the boss," Candy murmured.

"Bet she's trying to fuck him," Crystal snorted as they passed, popping her gum along the way.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she moved to stand next to Jason in a very short, very low cut blue velvet robe. His eyes couldn't help but wander down the slight v of her…

"It's Lizzie," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair, "The girls call me Lizzie."

"Elizabeth," he said again as he averted his eyes to her face. That reminded him that they had still yet to confirm or deny her age, "I haven't been able to check on your status, you know call the hospital, department of motor vehicles…"

"Trusting me, yeah, that sort of thing," she sighed as she crossed her arms across her chest. She wasn't aware that the move caused her robe to open even more, allowing Jason a view of her black, lacy bra, which seemed to strain against here creamy white breasts.

He shook his head, needing to concentrate, "I'll be able to do it first thing tomorrow morning, let you know if you still have a job here."

She started to open her mouth, to stay something that he was sure was a fiery come back but he held up his hands.

"I'm allowing you to work tonight, for the simple fact that you look like you need money for a meal or two…"

Her eyes flashed and her mouth opened yet again for a retort but he continued on.

"I just need you to keep it toned down, just for tonight. Most of the other girls are ether going topless or fully nude I don't want that from you, you're the mid set, leave them wanting when you're done," he said. "Just for tonight, that's all I'm asking."

Elizabeth looked at him oddly. She had been doing this for over a year and this was the first time a man, a godly man at that, actually asked her to keep her clothes on. It amused her and the side of her mouth quirked up.

"I can do that, I can try," she said, "I'm not used to a man asking me not to strip, especially when he's hired me to do so."

"I…"

She pressed two fingers against his lips. They were warm, moist and a delicious chill ran down her spine. She licked her own lips, realizing that she would love to give this man his own private show.

Then remembering who this man was she quickly pulled her fingers away.

"I need to change, I need a different outfit, can you keep the two Barbie's on stage for a little bit longer?"

He bit back his laughter. He couldn't help but think the two blondes resembled the little toys Sonny's young daughter played with. He nodded to Elizabeth and she gave him a small smile, disappearing back down the hall to the dressing rooms.

He wasn't sure what she was changing into, but it had to be better than that black lace bra.

Sonny stood behind one end of the bar looking pleased. Opening night was clearly a success and while some uniform officers stuck around for an hour to make sure things were on the up and up they had disappeared and the patrons had begun to enjoy themselves. While it was mostly a male audience he did notice a female or two laughing it up and enjoying the liquor. As long as they didn't climb up on the tables and try to take away from his girls he wasn't worried about it.

It looked like_ Lily's_ was going to be a great business, possibly even better than the coffee warehouse, and much easier to explain the profits.

"Hey."

Sonny turned around with bourbon in his hand and smiled at Jason. This wouldn't have worked without Jason's help. Sure they had an accountant that could easily take care of the books but Jason would pick up on things most others wouldn't and he would be here to make sure no one slipped up. Granted Sonny knew Jason hated it, he'd rather be out on the street doing what he was originally hired to do, but this is where he was needed at the moment and Jason seemed to accept it.

Not happily, but accepted it nonetheless.

"How are things going?" Sonny asked, "From my end the bar is pretty busy and the waitresses have things running smoothly. The couple of girls I've seen look good," he said motioning to the stage where Candy and Crystal were entertaining the men and collecting some bills.

Jason wondered if Johnny even asked for their real names. He decided he didn't care as long as they passed through the security check.

All but one did.

"There's something I have to tell you, something I didn't get a chance to run by you," Jason said as he licked his lips, "We had a last minute hire about an hour before the club opened. I didn't get a chance to run her through so I had a chat with her, checked out her ID, she looks okay and she's not going to do the usual performance tonight."

Sonny shrugged as he took a long sip of his bourbon, "Jason, I trust you, you know that. I mean, I don't know why you're even…"

Then the lights went dim and both Sonny and Jason focused on the stage. A spotlight appeared, the curtains were pulled back and there Elizabeth Webber stood in those ridiculously high heeled boots and a vinyl outfit.

A police officer's vinyl outfit; blue top, black skirt and matching cap.

Jason couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips as her fingers curled around the poll and she slid the front of her body down it.

She had better be eighteen.

"She had better be eighteen," Sonny said through gritted teeth, "Look at her face, she looks like she just stepped out of grade school Jason, Jesus."

Jason mouth moved soundlessly, his jaw was working but nothing was coming from his lips. Not when she whipped that hat off her head and her hair tumbled onto her shoulders in a riot of curls. Nothing came out when the blue vinyl top was ripped open and she revealed that black lace bra. Nothing came out when she bent down in front of the audience, giving them a view of her matching boy short panties while she unzipped her vinyl boots.

He just stood there and gawked and then groaned and then grew very, very hard.

"Jason!"

The slam of Sonny's glass onto the bar brought his attention back to his boss. He swallowed hard as he tried to find out some way to calm Sonny's rage. He knew he was going to hear it from Sonny, he didn't want to hear it from Sonny's wife tomorrow that he sent her husband home mad.

"Her ID looked authentic," Jason said, "We needed the extra spot filled and I didn't have time to run a thorough background. She's got a birth certificate and a driver's license. Johnny agreed with me when he said they looked real," he took a chance with his next statement, "He also said you trust me."

"I do," Sonny said and then sighed, "I do. We just have a lot riding on this until the Feds go away."

"I know," Jason said his eyes drifting back towards the stage as Elizabeth's hands slowly unzipped that vinyl skirt, "Fuck do I know."

Then the lights went out, just like he said and she disappeared back behind the curtain. There were some boos and chants but then the stage lit up again and a woman by the name of Peggy, he thought, appeared and started to entertain the crowd.

Elizabeth kept her word, still had on that damn bra, but kept her word.

She had only made it down to her bra and skirt and Jason felt like he needed a cold shower, pronto. He didn't know what he was going to do if he found out she was indeed eighteen and would fully strip tomorrow.

He had a feeling he'd be bathing in a tub of ice.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth's eyes sprang open as the disturbing sound penetrated through her hazy dreams.

Someone was snoring.

She sat up in bed, clad only in a 'Go Speed Racer, Go!' tee shirt and glanced around at the other occupants of the room. There were four other women residing here and anyone of them could be the culprits.

Because she was the last one that was hired she was stuck with whatever bed that was left over. Unfortunately her room housed the Barbie girls Crystal and Candy as well as the wanna be spice chick Baby but the annoying sound was coming from the normally quiet Rita. She wasn't sure if was a nasal problem or just a cold, but Elizabeth hoped that if she brought any men home with her they were drunk enough to sleep through what could only be labeled as a fog horn.

Sighing and knowing there was no way she was going back to sleep Elizabeth swung her bare feet over the side of the bed, wincing when they me the cold wooden floor.

She definitely had to go shopping today, none of the clothes she was able to stash in her bag were accommodating for the Port Charles winter. That and she needed a few more outfits for her new job.

If she still had a job.

She was beginning to think that the hulking enforcer simply didn't like her. She knew that her background check was going to come through clean, all her background checks did, but for some reason she seemed to get under Jason Morgan's skin.

Not a good idea to piss off a mob guy.

But did she really piss him off or…

Elizabeth bit her lip as she thought of the possibilities. She only needed to stick around here long enough to gather enough money to make it down to Florida so she could catch a boat on over to Cuba or some exotic island that had no expedition clause and was far away from any city or state that began with the letter 'C'.

If sleeping with her boss meant a few extra bills in her purse it wouldn't be so bad, she'd done it before, and none of her bosses ever looked like a walking Adonis.

She just wasn't sure if Jason was the one she was suppose to be impressing.

All she needed was to earn a few hundred dollars; it couldn't be more than two weeks tops. She could handle this tiny town for that long.

Running her fingers through her bed head, Elizabeth made a skip down the backstairs and headed towards the kitchen. She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent meal and a sandwich sounded wonderful right about now.

She knew the club would be closed till around seven or eight and none of the other dancers would be up until at least twelve. That was even considered an ungodly hour when you were gyrating against strange men until three or four in the morning the night before.

Digging in some cupboards, Elizabeth set out to make a sandwich of peanut butter and fluff before heading down the hall, chewing it slowly. Things never looked as harsh in the daytime as they did at night in these clubs. Even though the polls were still obvious, with the sun filtering in through the high windows everything seemed softer, more innocent.

She snorted as she made her way around the bar, reaching for a bottle of beer. Her innocence was lost a long time ago and after about a year of chasing it she just gave up. She had to deal with the cards she was dealt.

Most of the times she held a losing hand but still, she always landed feet first.

As long as she was one step ahead.

Licking her fingers clean, Elizabeth made her way back down the hall she followed last night that lead her into the enormous dressing room. Instead of heading all the way towards the exit door she stopped and made a left, heading down another long hall.

If she were going to learn a few things around here, the boss's office would be the first place to start.

"Run it again."

"Jason, I ran it twice," Francis said, "And Johnny ran it once. The results are always the same."

"Run it again," Jason said.

"Running it a million times is not going to make a difference," Francis said slamming the folder down on Jason's desk, "She's eighteen and unless you tell us to, we can't fix her age. If you aren't happy with your results, run the damn thing yourself."

Jason looked up surprisingly at his bodyguard.

"Well, you're driving us insane. We've been working on this since late last night," Francis said. "Sonny isn't going to be pissed if you bang the girl."

"Don't…" Jason stood up and slammed his hands down on the desk, "We're not going to discuss this."

"Fine," Francis said holding his hands up in defense, "I just told you what I found out. I already ran it by Sonny. He said that everything is okay and she has a job here as long as she wants. He wanted me to relay the message to her."

"I'll relay it," Jason growled.

"I bet," Francis smirked and quickly retreated when he saw the look Jason was giving him, "I'm going, I'm going. I'll be back tonight though," he said flashing a grin as he pulled open the door, "Maybe I'll be able to meet this…"

Elizabeth stood there startled, one hand poised to knock on the wooden door, the other one still holding a half empty bottle of beer. She quickly recovered, flashing a smile and holding out her hand, "Lizzie Webber."

"Francis the bodyguard," Francis smiled as he shook her head, "Johnny and I…"

"Weren't you just going to meet him?" Jason asked with raised eyebrows. "Aren't you running late?"

Francis smiled and nodded his head. He had seen Jason when someone pushed him too far and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of those battles. So he smiled to Elizabeth once more and excused himself, leaving through the back exit.

"Can I help you with something?" Jason asked as he sat back down on the desk. He had no intention of inviting her into the office. That was simply asking for trouble, especially with her standing there in nothing but a tee shirt.

He cleared his throat. He had a job to do and he never lost his concentration because of a female before. He wasn't going to start now.

Even though her waist was so tiny he could span both his hands around it.

Even though she had the most soulful blue eyes he had ever seen.

Even though her breasts would probably fit perfectly in his hands.

He groaned quietly as he tapped the pencil rapidly against the accounting books and pulled the chair further under the desk, cursing this woman in front of him.

"I was wondering," she said taking a tentative step into the office and then another, "If I still had a job."

She was gnawing on her lip again and Jason wanted nothing more to do than swipe his thumb across that moist, rose colored…

He shook his head and looked up at her, "Yes, yes Francis was just telling me that…" he cleared his throat and adjusted the position in his seat, "You can start tonight, I mean…"

"I can actually do my routine tonight," she smiled as she stepped further into the office and closer to the desk.

He suddenly felt like the air was being sucked out of the room.

And when he saw the look in her eyes he knew that she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

"Do you know when the schedule is going to be up?" she asked, placing the beer bottle down on the desk and smiling at him innocently.

His mind was telling him not to take the bait; other body parts were screaming something else.

"I'm sorry I didn't go over this with you last night," he said as he shifted again in his seat, "We're expecting to be pretty busy this week with the grand opening. We are requiring the girls to work a full seven days before we can start rotating days off. If you can't handle it…"

"Oh I can handle that," she smiled as she drug her bare feet across the carpet.

He sat there wondering how in the hell toes could be so damn sexy?

"I wasn't talking about that schedule," she said quietly.

Jason cleared his throat and pulled his eyes away from her, focusing on the accounting books. He had to get this thing balanced before the end of the night and he had to get the tiny female across from him out of the room.

"What schedule were you talking about, Elizabeth?" he asked as he erased a figure in front of him and wrote something else over top of it.

She ran one fingernail along the books that he was working on causing him to look back up into her smiling eyes. Eyes that were promising something he wasn't sure he wanted to step into.

"The boss's schedule," she whispered as she situated herself on the edge of her desk, causing her tee shirt ride up and offer him a delicious view of her creamy white skin.

"The boss's schedule?" he practically groaned. He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the numbers. He had to figure out these damn numbers.

"You know," she said leaning over the desk, blocking his view of those pesky numbers and giving him a nice view of her tee shirt and the breasts they covered, "The schedule the boss makes for the girls, the ones that tells them what night they get to…" she ran her tongue across her lips. "Play with the boss."

"Unfortunately we don't have that type of schedule here but Jason will look into it, see if it's worth developing."

Elizabeth felt her face flame as she shifted off of the desk and turned around to face Sonny Corinthos.

"Mr. Corinthos, I am…" Elizabeth bit her lip. She wasn't exactly sorry.

"I'm sure you were testing Jason," Sonny said as he stepped into the office, "Make sure his mind was on business."

None of the occupants in the room believed that excuse but it was the out Elizabeth needed. She nodded and moved around Sonny, backing her way out of the office.

"I need to go shopping, I have to get a few more things for this evening," she said, "I'll be here before opening. I'm Lizzie, Lizzie Webber, Mr. Corinthos and I'm sorry for anything that…well I'm sorry."

"Ms. Webber," Sonny smiled, two obvious dimples appearing on his cheeks, "Between you and me, I like a girl who can keep Jason on his toes."

Jason growled and slammed the accounting book shut on the desk.

"It was nice meeting you Mr. Corinthos," she smiled as she disappeared through the door.

Sonny turned around to face Jason, the smile no longer evident on his face, "Jason…"

"How are Morgan and Adella?" Jason asked standing up from behind the desk and turning around to run his fingers through his hair.

Elizabeth may have left the room but her image was still dancing in his mind and that was very much evident on Jason's body.

"Don't try and change the subject," Sonny said, "I've been down this road before Jason. I am highly recommending that you do not go down it. These girls get involved…"

"They aren't going to get involved in anything," Jason said turning back to face Sonny, "We're running a clean club here, I'm not going to let anyone in here with anything illegal. You should know that."

Sonny shook his head as he ran his fingers through his dark curls, "I'm not questioning your judgment," he said, "I am saying that you can tell them it's not welcome in here but you can't tell them what to do outside of this club. I've seen the girls sneak this shit in, I've…sadly I've done some of it before myself but I won't go down that road again and I'm just letting you know no matter how strong you may think you are…"

"I would never do that," Jason said his face impassive. He couldn't believe he was actually having a conversation with Sonny about taking drugs.

"I know you won't," Sonny said and turned around to face the open door behind them, "What I'm saying is that I don't trust one of these girls to slip you something," he turned back around and picked up the beer bottle that was on his desk, "Be wary."

Jason swallowed hard as he looked at the bottle that Sonny held in his hands. He could just imagine Elizabeth's lips wrapped around it, the cool liquid slipping down her throat, the sweat from the bottle running down her tiny fingers.

Damn't even the beer bottle was turning him on.

"I need to get out of here," Jason said, "When do I get to go back to my real job?"

Sonny flashed him a grin, "I was beginning to worry about you. You haven't been with a woman since Robin left and I wasn't sure if you had taken a celibacy vow. It's good to see you interested in one again."

"I'm not interested in one," Jason said pulling his leather coat off the back of the chair and slipping it on, "Let's go grab lunch, you can catch me up on some things."

"Jason," Sonny said as the man moved out ahead of him, "Do whatever you want with these women, I don't care," he shrugged, "Most of them will probably jump at the chance but just be careful that's all."

Jason was going to say something but he kept his mouth shut and nodded then waited for Sonny to walk out the door ahead of him.

He had a feeling that he would have to be very careful around Elizabeth Webber.

Elizabeth smiled as she stepped out of the shadows from the other end of the hall. Sonny Corinthos' name was on the lease but the man she needed to please would be Jason Morgan and it didn't look like it was going to be that difficult to do.

Two weeks tops.


	4. Chapter 4

_Big thanks to Naomi for the outfit idea ;)_

She was actually nervous.

Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she was nervous. The first few times she was required to perform she made sure she was drunk enough not to remember the next morning, after that she always had a couple of shots of Tequila, Vodka, Scotch, whatever was handy.

But three beers, two glasses of vodka and cranberry and a shot of apple schnapps later she still felt her insides doing somersaults and her hands were trembling so hard she didn't think she'd be able to grab onto the damn pole.

All because of that gorgeous bastard Jason Morgan.

She wanted to impress him and she hated that. She was supposed to simply walk in here, dance a few nights, earn some money and move on. She couldn't imagine actually living in this town. She didn't know what the hell people did around here for entertainment. When she saw the ad, she knew it was a place to hole up in and that was what she was planning to do.

Until she sat down on the edge of that desk this morning, stared into the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen and decided that she had to have this man if it were the last thing she did on this earth.

Of course she would prefer that Sonny didn't walk in the next time she was trying to seduce him.

If there was a next time, that is.

She came back from shopping around two and no one had seen or heard from Jason since he disappeared with Sonny that afternoon. She heard the guards talking about his griping that he really wasn't fit for this job and he wanted to get back out and do what he was hired to do.

Much to his displeasure, he was still around.

She was also very grateful to hear that Sonny Corinthos was no where in sight tonight. At least if she wanted to try and make another move he wouldn't be walking in on them.

Elizabeth gave Peggy a forced smile as the woman came down the stairs, reaching for her red silk robe and draping it around her naked body.

"They're all warmed up for ya there, kid," Peggy smiled as she pulled on one of Elizabeth's pig tails. "You're gonna knock 'em dead. Pretty soon Mr. Corinthos will have you as the closer."

"Oh I don't know about that," Elizabeth said with a nervous laugh, "Who's all out there?"

"Some guys I saw from last night, some new people, no cops," Peggy shrugged, "Uniformed anyway and the guards are there. Mr. Morgan just came behind the bar."

"Jas…Mr. Morgan's here?" Elizabeth asked as she pushed the curtain aside slightly and her eyes searched the bar. Sure enough he stood behind it, listening to something that Francis was saying and nursing a cold beer.

"He just came in I heard," Peggy said as she watched Elizabeth, "Look honey, I know you've said you've been around and all but one thing you gotta know…"

"I've been around," Elizabeth said releasing the curtain and looking at Peggy, "And I'm tired of having to defend myself to people. Trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing."

Peggy smiled as she placed her hand against Elizabeth's cheek, "Trust me when I say that I've been around a hell of a lot longer than you have and going after the boss is never a good thing. It'll start problems with the girls; it'll start problems with Mr. Corinthos as well."

"I'm not going after anybody," Elizabeth said as the lights dimmed again on the stage, "I'm here to do a job and I'm going to do it." She hesitated before she made her way up the stairs, "I do appreciate it Peggy but what're your saying...it's rare you know, people looking out for each other in this business."

"I'm a rarity," Peggy said flashing her a smile, "Them girls you're rooming with ain't."

Elizabeth laughed as she pulled aside the curtain again and headed onto the stage. That much she knew.

Jason nodded as he listened to Francis run down how things were going at the club before he returned. He thought it would be safer if he stayed away from Elizabeth Webber for a little while and working off some steam in the frigid winter air did his body some good.

Of course he called Max to find out what time the dancers would be doing their routines to make sure he missed Elizabeth's. He wasn't going to be walking into that tonight. After being given the okay by Sonny and having Elizabeth practically throw herself at him this morning he wanted to make sure he avoided all temptation.

He knew women were trouble, he knew they didn't mix with business and he'd be damn if he was going to be caught with his pants down.

Literally.

Jason's eyebrows drew together as he took another swig of his beer. Britney Spears was playing over the club's speaker system and he wasn't sure if this was some perverted request or that one of the girls were actually crazy enough to dance to this.

He turned to Francis to ask him but the bodyguard's eyes were on the stage full grin plastered on his face.

Jason's eyes followed his and were met with Elizabeth Webbers dark blue ones.

He knew that smirk on her face was all for him.

He slammed the beer bottle down on the bar and aimed his rage at Francis, "I called Max earlier tonight and…"

"There was a schedule mix up," Francis said as he skirted out of Jason's reach, "There's something in the back that I have to check into."

And with laughter echoing in Jason's ears he watched his bodyguard disappear down the hall and into the kitchen. Francis was a dead man tomorrow that was for sure.

Jason sighed and picked up his beer, trying to keep his eyes focused on everything else in the club, everything but that damn girl on stage, however it was useless. His eyes found hers as her body gyrated to 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'.

The only thing that made it worse was that damn school girl outfit.

Elizabeth was on stage in a short red plaid skirt with a matching tie and a plain white top that tied just below her breasts. She also had on matching white thigh-his and some black Mary Jane's to complete the outfit.

A pervert's number one fantasy.

He was feeling like one as she tugged on the tie, pulled it over her head and tossed it out into the crowd. Then her fingers were playing with the button on the skirt before she turned around and shook her ass for the roaring crowd.

He shifted behind the bar, his jeans becoming incredibly uncomfortable as the skirt came loose and she whipped it around her head before her fingers let it fall to the stage. There she stood in a pair of fire engine red lace boy shorts and a white top that she was tugging at.

He watched as the knot came loose, watched as her fingers pulled the pieces of cotton away from her breasts, watched as more and more of that creamy white skin was made available for all to see.

Then he realized that he couldn't watch anymore. He threw his bottle into the trash, relishing in the sound of glass breaking and stormed into the back office, slamming the door so hard he thought he loosened a few hinges.

He didn't know what it was about that woman but he did know that he had to stay the hell away from her.

"Hasn't been here three days and she's already getting fired," Candy snickered as Elizabeth came off the stage tying her shirt quickly and then reaching to fasten her skirt. She had tossed the shoes and thigh-his back there before she exited.

"Ignore them," Peggy said as she placed an arm around Elizabeth and offered her, her blue robe, "They're jealous."

"Jealous?" Crystal laughed, "That I pissed the boss off so bad he stormed into his office? Man, you must be one horrible dancer."

"Back off, Crystal," Karen said coming up to stand behind Peggy.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked.

She had to pretend that her eyes weren't on Jason the whole time she was on stage. She didn't want anyone to know that she faltered slightly when she saw the storm clouds appear in his eyes before he disappeared into the back.

She didn't want anyone to know how that affected her.

"He's just a little tense, that's all," Peggy said. "And I'm sure it has something to do with the _other_ business he runs."

"Right," Candy said rolling her eyes as she made her way towards the stage, "The coffee warehouse."

Elizabeth slipped the blue robe around her shoulders and belted it loosely. She was still somewhat dressed but she didn't like the feeling parading around in a skirt short enough to show off her Victoria Secret undergarments and a shirt that you could see right through.

"I don't think I'm going to make friendly tonight," Elizabeth said looking at Peggy, "Can you cover for me?"

Peggy nodded, "Karen and I will take care of anyone asking for ya. Don't pay no attention to them Barbie twits, they don't know real talent when they see it."

Elizabeth gave her another forced smile and disappeared down the hallway that lead to the backstairs which would deposit her into the room she shared with four other woman. Instead of heading upstairs, she made her way straight to the office that housed Jason.

He could run from her all he wanted but she was about to pin him down with something that no man could resist.

Tears.

Jason placed the accounting book in the desk drawer. He finally figured the damn thing out and as long as they hired someone who knew what to put in the debit and credit column it didn't look like it was going to get screwed up anytime soon.

He sighed and leaned back in the leather chair. Now he had to sit here for the next two hours till the club closed and find something to do. He hated being cooped up in doors, he'd rather be out there investigating something or doing what Sonny really paid him to do. This management job wasn't really him.

And keeping an eye on Elizabeth Webber was slowly chipping away at his self control.

She was a beautiful woman, even though she looked like a child. He couldn't get over the way her face light up when she smiled, the way her eyes danced when she flirted, the way she managed to slip off her clothes so easily…

A sudden knock on his door interrupted his thoughts and before he realized what he was doing he had barked a hello that scarily resembled his boss Sonny Corinthos.

The woman who was dancing around his mind poked her head in the door, "If your busy, I can…I can't take this up with Francis," she said quietly.

His brain yelled for her to do so but his body jumped out of the chair and waved her into the office. He was asking for trouble and she was it with a capital 'T'.

Elizabeth came into the office slowly and closed the door behind her, flicking the switch on the lock with a hand that was covered in the folds of her blue robe. She turned to him with a tear stained face.

"I'm sorry to bother you Mr. Morgan," she sniffled, "I just wanted to collect last night and this night's pay and be on my way."

Jason walked towards her, knowing it was a mistake and reached out to touch her face, "What happened? Did someone do something to you? Was it a customer?"

She shook her head as her lower lip trembled, "No it's just…I can't…" she sniffled again as she tried desperately to hang onto the tears that clung to her eyelashes.

What lovely eyelashes, Jason thought.

"I keep making you so mad," she said, "And I don't want to do that. I mean your slamming things because of me and Candy and Crystal said that I caused you to throw a beer bottle. Mr. Morgan I never wanted to upset you. I am so sorry. I just really need the pay or else I would've left quietly."

Jason studied her for a moment, those puppy dog eyes; the way her face curled up as she sniffled. Elizabeth Webber didn't seem like the kind of person to take things lying down.

She also didn't seem like the kind of person to cry very easily.

"You want to tell me the real reason you're back here or should I go ask Crystal and Candy?"

She stomped her foot and that seemed more like the Elizabeth Webber he was getting to know. She reached her hand up to brush the fake tears from her eyes and glared at him.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked, "This morning you were in here ready to have me on the desk…"

"What?" he asked his eyes wide, "You were the one…"

"And all of a sudden I go up there to dance and you just disappear, like you can't even bare to look at me. Does my body sicken you? Is that it? Were you just teasing me this morning, see if I fuck you so then you can fire me for some inane reason?" she asked, "Well, tell me! I don't know what I did to get in your craw but I really need this job and any bonus that comes along with it and I'd appreciate it if you would just let me know if I'm going to be around for a while or just until you're tired of keeping me dangling on a string and furthermore…"

Jason smirked as he leaned against the edge of the desk. She didn't seem to realize that he could've easily fired her for mouthing off to the boss but no, she just kept right on rambling and he had to admit it brought out a little bit of innocence in her. Something he knew that was lost a long time ago in each of these girls.

She stopped and bit her lip when she realized he was grinning at her, his eyes becoming stormy again and she had wondered if she had gone too far. Coming in here with tears she thought she'd definitely have Jason Morgan at her beck and call but apparently he'd been around too many women before because he had seen right through her. Now she was just mad and wondering what he was going to do with her.

"I don't want to get involved with any of the women here," he said, "This isn't where I plan to stay. This isn't my real job."

"This isn't where I plan to stay either," she said as she made a tentative step towards him. When he made no argument or no movement she took another, "So while we're staying, why don't we have a little fun?"

Then he moved, away from the desk and back behind it, placing himself in the leather chair and looking up at her.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said as he folded his hands in his lap.

Obvious sign to her that she was getting to him once again, but she wasn't going to crawl up on the desk, no, this time things were going to get more intimate.

"You know," she said walking around the side of the desk, "The last guy I worked for, real upstanding citizen, business suit and all, kinda like Sonny, he hated it when I went out there parading around in front of all those other men, couldn't stand to watch me strip for other people."

"This something you do?" Jason asked as she leaned down and braced her hands on the arms of the chair, turning him to face her, "Sleep with all your other bosses."

"I'm a woman, Mr. Morgan," she said quietly as she moved closer to him, "I have to claw my way to the top and yes I will do whatever it takes to get there."

"That what you're doing with me?" he asked as she smiled and leaned back, fiddling with the knot on her robe.

"You couldn't stand it either," she said as she pulled it loose and he was given a tantalizing view of that creamy white skin he was so fond of, "Couldn't stand to watch me bare my breasts and all my other assets to Francis and Johnny and all those men."

She let that blue robe slip off one shoulder, then another, then down around her waist before it hit the floor and he was gazing at an up close view of that damn school girl outfit.

Bare feet, bare thighs, skirt short enough to reveal those wonderful red lace panties, tied white tee that was so see through he could see her nipples straining against it, begging for release.

His hands were itching to reach up and give it to them.

Even her fucking pigtails were turning him on.

"What do you say," she whispered as her fingers found the button on her skirt, "To a private show."


	5. Chapter 5

_I believe this chapter fits under the Mature rating that I give this fic, its very hard R some could call it worse but I wouldn't. Please feel free to let me know if you are offended and would like it removed._

Elizabeth Webber was a fiery person, with a quick temper and a bite that followed her bark. She developed street smarts at a very young age and knew when to back down and when to fight. She could be counted on when things got rough and was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. She always knew where the line was drawn in the sand.

That was until now.

Here she stood hovering over Jason Morgan, her question still lingering in the air as his eyes narrowed, devouring her, undressing her in his mind.

She fought the urge to swallow hard and wondered if maybe this time little Lizzie had gone too far.

She wanted to turn around and run, scream into the night that she didn't want this; she only wanted a few extra bucks so she could get the hell out of the country. Stopping at a strip joint in a small little town was just something she was doing to hold her over she could get what she needed to survive on her own for a while.

She certainly wasn't expecting to flirt with her boss.

She certainly wasn't expecting him to be a leader of the east coasts most famous Mafia.

She certainly wasn't expecting him to be looking up at her, grinning at her like a cat who just found his bowl of cream, telling her something in two tiny little syllables.

"Ok."

Ok, that was it, plain and simple ok. She dangled the bait in front of Jason Morgan's face and he was biting it, hard.

She had to take a step back, had to take a breather before this went any further.

"I would offer to go lock the door," Jason said as his fingers pressed together in front of him, "But I think you took care of that when you came in."

The gorgeous bastard had her pegged the whole time. That caused a smile to return to her face. This is why she was here; this is why she was playing this game. She had been around the circuit for a while and no man was ever worthy enough to challenge her. This man seemed to, this man excited her.

He wanted a private show? He was going to get one.

"Would you like me to sing?" she asked as she moved a few steps away from the chair and started humming the Britney Spears tune she was dancing to on stage.

Jason winced and shook his head, "Please don't."

It was bad enough this girl still remained him of a she child, he didn't want to be picturing fourteen year old Britney Spears dancing around in a sports bra and pants while Elizabeth was stripping for him.

Then again Elizabeth could be singing Old McDonald Had A Farm and his concentration would only be on her hands and what she was doing with that damn plaid skirt.

Elizabeth started humming something else, anything else, so she didn't have to hear her own breathing become heavy as she moved her body up, down and around in front of Jason, her fingers twisted the skirt in her hands before she released another button and then another and then let it fall to the floor by her robe.

There she stood in the outfit she wore on stage before he stormed into the back. She smiled satisfied as his eyes darkened, as his hands moved back down to lay across the front of his jeans and his face took on that familiar stony look she received the first day she arrived.

Nothing was sexier to her than getting under a man's skin and as she turned around and bent over in front of Jason, slowly rising back up, raking her finger nails along her smooth legs she realized that she had gotten to him.

She just wondered when he had gotten to her.

Turning back around in front of him she ran her hands down the front of her body, stopping slightly at her stomach and wrapping them around her waist before she swung her hips from side to side. Then her fingers started toying with the waist band of those red lace panties. They made her feel so sexy and the way Jason was looking at her…

That made her feel so wet.

He was losing control. He could feel it. His own labored breathing was echoing in his ears, mocking him. He was The Borg, The Enforcer, the one that everyone was afraid of. He kept things calm and when,_ if_, he needed any type of release even that was taken care of with a sense of self control.

But watching this petite woman in front of him, shaking her ass near his face, playing with the long ties of her blouse, peeling it open…

He had to grip the chair, felt the leather nearly splitting under his fingers, trying to convince himself that he had to be professional. He would let her have her fun and then he would let her go.

Who the fuck were they both kidding?

Elizabeth smiled as she took one step towards him, then another, the sides of her shirt hanging up, revealing just enough of her beautiful breasts.

"Would you like me to completely strip?" she whispered as she leaned over and ran her fingers down the side of his face.

That was a chance she took, one that seemed to pay off because he didn't pull away.

"Or would you like me to keep things simple like I did last night?" she said as she raised one knee and brushed it up against his thigh, "Leave now and don't look back."

"I think I should…" he skimmed his palm up her naked thigh, "ask what you charge for a lap dance."

Elizabeth had passed the line in the sand and was running straight towards the point of no return.

It scared the hell out of her and yet it made her feel so free.

She smiled as she slid her other knee up by his thigh, ready to crawl on his lap, "This one is on the…"

He shook his head, pushed her off, pushed her back a step or two and she tried to hide the disappointment in her face.

Not only was Jason Morgan pushing her away, he was also going to make her go to bed horny.

"A nude lap dance."

Her heart rate increased as his work roughened fingers slipped into the lacy sides of her underwear and started tugging them down her hips, over her ass, past that glorious mound of curls, down those luscious thighs, releasing them and watching them slid past her calves to pool at her tiny feet.

He looked back up at her, a devilish gleam in his eye as he reached for the sides of her shirt, pulling her close to him with the cotton ends.

She was mesmerized, enchanted and wistful at the very thought of a man taking control. When was the last time that had happened in her bed?

She felt him raise up out of the chair a little, his face nearly buried in her now naked breasts and she groaned when he pulled the cotton from her body, tearing it slightly and allowing it to fall to the floor from his bunched fists.

She felt her body start to shake and she knew the moment she climbed on top of his lap he would know exactly how he was making her feel, but looking down at him, at the place his hands occupied a few minutes ago Elizabeth noticed that she was making him feel the same way.

She tried to be seductive, tried to crawl onto his lap purring like a kitten, rubbing up against the rough denim of his jeans.

She shuddered though when she felt his fingers grasp her thighs, groaned slightly when that tiny nub that was aching for something came in contact with a piece of his metal zipper. She was quickly realizing that this flirtatious dance was spinning out of control and both of them were losing their senses.

"Just tell me," she gasped as she felt his hands move from her thighs to her ass, pulling her tight against him, his hardness nestled between her legs, "Tell me…" she panted.

He was rubbing himself against her, he was torturing her and he was enjoying every minute of it.

Beautiful, fucking bastard.

"God," she gasped as the rough material came in contact with her sensitive skin, "What do you want?"

He reached up and tugged on one of her pigtails, playing with the curly ends, a smile still plastered across his face before it slowly disappeared, replaced by something she couldn't quite describe.

"Simple," he whispered as he tried to spread her legs further apart with the limited space available in the leather chair. He growled as he pulled her face down to his, "You."

Then he was kissing her, kissing her until her lungs burned and she pulled back, gasping for air before she reached for him again.

Hands were everywhere, tugging at his clothes. His shirt was off and tossed over to the wet bar a few feet from the desk. Her fingers were grasping at his button, trying to pull it open and having no success.

"Stop," he barked as he batted her hands away, He reached down and flicked the button open with two fingers, then he undid his zipper, slowly, painfully and let out a long sigh.

Elizabeth took her two tiny hands and reached inside of his jeans, inside those black boxers, pulling out his rock hard erection that immediately pressed against his naked stomach. She wanted to crawl off of his lap and take him in her mouth right there, give this gorgeous man the satisfaction and pleasure he obviously deserved.

But he held a firm grip on her waist and was hissing as her hands started to move up and down his length. She knew neither of them were going anywhere until they both reached a mutual release.

"Fuck," she groaned slapping his chest with her hands. In the excitement, the pleasure of wanting to get to Jason she didn't think to even bring anything back with her. She thought about seducing him, she just never thought about succeeding.

And even though she was on the pill, condoms were something that was required in this business.

"I…" he shut her up again with his kiss and pulled her closer with one arm, his moist cock rubbing up against her belly as she took his face in her hands and made love to his mouth.

She could feel him reaching behind her, digging through a drawer that was next to her and then his other hand was flat against her back, she could feel the foil of the condom wrapper against her skin.

He pulled away and held it up in front of her face. She took it eagerly and tore it open with her mouth, tugging on it and reaching for him when he pulled away again.

Her eyes met his and she saw it, the passion, the desire and still the hesitation.

She handed him back the wrapper, "I won't talk you into this," she whispered as she leaned her body against his once more, rubbing herself up against his thigh, "But I will tell you something, Jase," she pressed a kiss on his Adam's apple, running her tongue over it slightly before she brought her face up to his, "I'm afraid if you don't take me now, in this lovely leather chair, I might burst into flames."

That worked.

He pulled the condom out himself, slid it on and tossed the wrapper God knows where. She was groaning as he thrust inside of her, moans becoming louder as he continued to pound, her muscles squeezing against him.

The most erotic noises Elizabeth ever heard were bouncing off of the small office walls as she clung to him, her nails raking his back and drawing thin lines of blood. She nipped at him, his shoulder, his ear, his neck as she moved up and down on his lap. He was panting, kissing her, kissing her breasts, fondling them, caressing her ass.

She never knew that sex could this wonderful.

And suddenly this incredible feeling was washing over her, something that was reaching out to her, begging for her to catch it, grasp it and never let go.

She screamed, she collapsed against him, her body shaking, trembling in his arms as she felt his climax and heard his hoarse shout.

She was sure that had the music not been on, someone would've heard them.

He groaned as he felt her nails rake against his chest lightly while she struggled to sit up in his lap. Is this what he was trying to talk himself out of? Hell, he should've let her seduce him yesterday. This little ball a fire was a damn hellion in bed and he knew he'd have a few scars on his body to prove it.

If this was her idea of a bonus, he was all up for it.

She laughed slightly as she pulled away and placed a lingering kiss on his moist lips, "That was…hmm."

"I agree," he said as she moved away from him, taking the condom with her and disposing of it in the trash. She then bent down to retrieve her robe and belted it quickly before gathering up her other clothes.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night," she said, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

The question was there, between the lines, would this happen again.

Jason nodded and stood up, adjusting himself and zippering his jeans back up, not bothering with the button. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, tossing it down on the desk in front of Elizabeth.

"Here," he said motioning to the one hundred dollar bill that now stared back up at her, "You earned your 'bonus'."

Elizabeth smiled as her fingers reached out for it, caressed Benjamin Franklins face before her hand curled around it and she pressed it against her clothes. "Thank you."

She watched him collapse back into the leather chair and yawn slightly before she turned away and headed out of the door, avoiding the upstairs, instead making her way to the showers

This was what she wanted, to make some extra bucks so she could move on quicker, start a new life.

Elizabeth grimaced as she stepped under the ice cold spray wondering why all of a sudden she felt like a whore.


	6. Chapter 6

1:37 p.m.

The clock glared mockingly at her and she groaned, rolling over to the other side, giving it her back and throwing the covers over her head.

A wimp, a wuss, chicken shit, cop out, she was calling herself a whole slew of names for not being able to get out of bed, go downstairs and face Jason Morgan. She'd rather just snuggle under her covers and ignore the snickering down the hall that she knew was coming from Candy and Crystal.

Bitches.

She was tempted to throw one of her spiked heels at them but she knew that wouldn't do her any good. That would only confirm what was already being whispered around the club. Jason had disappeared while she was on stage, Elizabeth had disappeared soon after and neither of them were seen for the remainder of the evening.

She was crying in the shower, he was hiding in the office with a satisfied smirk.

The whole damn building was aware that something had happened between them and her lying in bed avoiding the matter certainly wasn't helping the situation but her brain wouldn't let her feet hit the floor.

She was mortified after what happened last night. She went into the office with the intent on seducing Jason Morgan and somehow they were both being seduced, somehow they both lost control but in the end he reminded her that this was suppose to be some sort of business deal.

He gave her the money she wanted.

It wasn't his fault she abandoned everything that she was taught simply because the man was the reason jeans were created. It wasn't his fault that her heart thumped a little faster when he entered the room. It wasn't his fault that the sex meant more to her than it did to him.

Nope, that was entirely her fault and she knew that. That's why she buried further into the warm flannel sheets.

Elizabeth knew that when you had sex with a man in this line of work it was just sex, nothing more. Most of the men that walked into these types of club want a little piece of action, be it a private show, a lap dance or a roll in the hay. It was something she quickly accommodated herself to and it was extra pocket money so she could start her own little next egg. She knew that feelings were never to be involved, she knew that little tingles did not run up and down your spin when you were lying down with a customer, she knew that you didn't see stars with a man who wanted a quick fuck, and she knew that you never, _ever_, gave up the control in the situation.

She did all that and more last night with Jason Morgan.

The tingles were there, so were the stars and she practically forced him to take control.

She could count on one hand the number of times a man actually had been the one leading the situation, the one touching her, wanting her to feel the same kind of release he was feeling. It had been a very long time she had felt that way, felt like someone was right there with her enjoying it. Jason gave her that back last night and she relished every minute of it.

Which made the one hundred bill that much more painful.

She wanted it, she told him that, she told herself that but she also wanted him and she knew that she couldn't have both. She couldn't stick around in this dinky little town for long; she wanted to move as far and as fast as she possibly could. Her past was also lingering there, threatening to catch up with her, she had to always, always keep one step ahead.

She couldn't let this man falter her.

That determination helped her swing her feet over the side of her bed and step into a pair of Tasmanian Devil slippers. She took a quick glance in the mirror, adjusting her ponytail, before making her way down the backstairs in a pair of Star Wars pajamas.

She was going to have to face Jason sometime and she'd rather it be in the light of day instead of at night when too many ears were around. She just hoped that he was in his office, alone.

Her hand froze as she started to turn the door knob. Maybe being alone with Jason wasn't such a good idea.

She was about to release it when the door was pulled open in front of her and she stumbled forward, falling into the muscular chest of Sonny Corinthos. When she looked up startled he was smiling down at her, dimples and all.

"I thought I heard someone at the door."

She straightened herself quickly and tugged at her shirt, "I'm sorry, I was looking for Jason."

"He had a couple of errands to run," Sonny said as he turned back into the office, "He'll be back before opening. Come in."

"I really should get…" she looked down at herself and bit her lip, "Dressed."

Sonny laughed as he made himself comfortable in the leather chair behind the desk. She tried to hide the blush that she felt creeping up her neck as she remembered, quite vividly, what took place in that exact chair last night.

Her legs were even staring to tremble.

"My son, he loves Star Wars, he watches the cartoon," Sonny said with his usual grin, "I'm still trying to figure out what a Wookie is."

Elizabeth laughed slightly, feeling a bit more at ease. He didn't seem to have the same affect on her as Jason did, she felt like she could relax with him. Then again no man she had ever encountered had the affect on her that Jason did. The man should be arrested for looking that damn good.

Sonny was waving her into the office, "I need to speak with you. Jason told me he didn't give you a run down of the rules before he hired you. Said there was some sort of problem with identification."

Elizabeth snorted as she stepped into the office, "He thinks I'm fifteen."

Sonny smiled as he leaned back in the chair, "I believe he told me sixteen."

"I get that," Elizabeth said, "All the time, its so fu…damn annoying."

A bark of laughter came from Sonny, "I've heard, and said, much worse. Just don't tell my wife," he added with a wink.

Elizabeth settled down into the chair across from him, "I learned it, from this," she said with a wave of her hand around the office, "Believe it or not I was raised to be like Cindy Brady."

Sonny leaned his elbows on the desk and looked at her, "How'd Cindy Brady get to be like this?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. It would be real easy to tell Sonny Corinthos how she got into this life, let him make up his mind as to whether or not he wanted to help her, but she had been down that road before and that was why she was running now. No, trusting the man in front of her was not something she was ready to do."

"The stories are all the same," she said as she licked her lips and met his dark brown eyes, "Dad's not around, Mom's not good enough, you get an offer you can't refuse, someone takes you under their wing, then you wake up one morning and you're in so deep you can't get out." She maintained eye contact with him, "I'm sure you know what that's like."

The corners of his mouth tugged up a bit, "I know a little bit about that."

She shifted in her seat and pulled her legs up underneath her, Tasmania's face poking out just slightly over the arm of the seat, "What rules do I need to go over?"

Sonny leaned back once again in the chair and brought his one leg across the other, "I'm sure you're already aware of them, they're usually the same in most clubs."

A smirk appeared on Elizabeth's delicate features and harshness flashed in those beautiful eyes of hers, "Have you worked on the West Coast?"

Sonny shook his head but he was aware of things that happened in strip clubs. The first time around he did it all wrong and he was going to make sure that didn't come back to bite him in the ass this time. It was something he was tempted to share with Elizabeth but now just didn't seem like the time.

"We don't allow drugs in here," Sonny said, "I don't allow them outside of here as well. If you wish to participate in something illegal you are going to have to keep it away from my club and away from me and Jason and any of the guards. I will not allow it."

She nodded, "That's something I've never touched, it's not something I want to get involved in."

"It all starts out that way…"

"I've been around," she said, "People don't seem to believe me but I have and I've been around long enough to know what I'm going to do and not going to do. That's one of them."

He saw the determination in her eyes and he believed her, "I don't care what you do with the men in this club but make sure that it's not done on this property. There are plenty of hotels in this city and tons of them on Courtland Street."

Elizabeth made a mental note that the particular street he mentioned must be on the rough side of town.

"Fair enough," she said, "I also know that I'm underage and I will not be caught drinking in your bar."

Sonny shrugged, "Some of the men are going to want you to drink with them when you socialize. As long they aren't undercover cops, a few drinks won't hurt. Check with one of the guards to see who's who around here. They'll point you in the right direction."

Elizabeth nodded and was grateful. She could always use a drink or two before she went on stage. Lord knows she had quite a few last night and she wound up doing both a great show and Jason Morgan all in one night.

Life was grand.

He cleared his throat and continued on, "Regarding in house dating."

Elizabeth's eyes snapped back to his and Sonny hid the smile before it appeared on his face. It seems the woman before him felt the same way that Jason felt. He wondered if anything had happened between the two yet.

"I'm not opposed to it."

She swallowed and for the first time avoided his eyes when speaking to him, "You just don't recommend it."

"I didn't say that," Sonny said standing up from the chair and moving around to the other side of the desk, where he stood in front of her, "This place, it's tempting and if I wasn't a happily married man I would be in here every night, keeping an eye on all the beautiful women that I hired. Francis does it, Johnny does it, Max does it," he stopped and gave her a small smile, "Jason does it."

Elizabeth looked away again, knowing that she couldn't prevent the blush from spreading to her face this time.

"They knew who they have to watch out for and who seems like safe territory," Sonny said as he folded his arms across his chest, "All of them will avoid Crystal, Candy and Baby."

She let out a relieved laugh, "Thank God."

"Peggy's too much of a mother and Rita, well," he leaned closer and said in a whisper, "I heard she snores."

Elizabeth leaned back in the chair again and laughed, "She does, loudly."

"Jill, Becky, Karen and Marie, they seem like nice girls," Sonny said, "They'll treat them right, they won't use them."

She licked her lips, wondering what was coming next, a little nervous at hearing what he had to say about her.

"They'll avoid you, Elizabeth," Sonny said with a smile, "Francis, Johnny, Max, everyone else here will avoid you. I hope you don't get too upset by that."

"Look," she said as she started to twist her fingers in her lap, "I'm just here to work."

"They see the way he looks at you," he said quietly, "And for that reason alone they'll know that you are Jason Morgan's…"

"I am Jason Morgan's nothing," she said jumping out of the chair, "He has no right to say anything to anyone about…nothing."

"Hey," Sonny said holding his hands up, "I'm not saying that he did…"

"I don't think this is a good idea anymore," she said as she moved away from him.

"What's not a good idea?" Sonny asked standing up from his leaning position against the desk.

"This, that, all of it," she groaned, "I just wanted a job, I didn't come in here expecting to find…" she stopped and took a deep breath, running her hand over her forehead. She couldn't do this, she was losing control of the situation and it seemed like the owner of this club was now in here trying to fix her up with Jason.

It was all too much.

"I quit," she said and then turned around, ready to storm out and leave with the last word, but she ran straight into a brick wall.

That turned out to be Jason's chest.

"I hope that's not on my account," he said, slight smirk on his face. He reached down to steady her as she started to wobble and when his hands wrapped her around her wrists, he felt it, something akin to a shock shooting right through his veins.

Looking into those dark blue eyes he saw that she felt it too.

"You'll have to excuse Sonny," he said releasing her and taking two steps back, "He's been trying to fix me up for a while now and he doesn't seem to understand that my work takes up too much of my personal time."

Elizabeth looked at Jason and then back at Sonny who was smiling, "I'm a very greedy man."

She closed her eyes and reminded herself to just breathe, in and out, in and out. She couldn't believe that five days ago she was living it up in Connecticut. My, how quickly her world had changed.

"I hope you reconsider," Sonny said, "From what I've seen you have talent, you're a real people person, a crowd pleaser. I hate to lose you."

"I think she'll be fine once you stop harassing her," Jason growled as he passed Sonny and moved behind the desk. His fingers lingered on the back of the leather chair and he looked towards her, his eyes searching hers.

It was there, the smoldering desire that had burst into a flame last night.

Even though her brain was screaming for her to run right out that door, her other body parts were telling her otherwise. She could no more walk away from Jason Morgan than he could from her. Not yet anyway, not until they were able to quench each others thirsts.

That or two weeks from now, she thought, whatever came first.

"I apologize for jumping the gun," Elizabeth said as she looked at Sonny, "I feel like Jason, except it's because of my work that I don't have someone. I think its better that way."

Sonny shrugged, "I was just saying…"

"Sonny, the stray cat outside gets what you're saying," Jason said as he threw a few folders down on his desk, "Now, if you're done talking with Elizabeth I need to discuss some business with you."

Sonny grinned at Elizabeth, "I'm finished, for now."

She hide the urge to roll her eyes and turned away from them, her slippers scrapping lightly across the carpet. Her hand was wrapped around the door frame when Jason called her back.

"I'll see you tonight."

She looked at him, saw the flame in his eyes and hurried back upstairs. She felt as if that man was going to be the death of her.

Jason's eyes scanned the bar. It was a little past ten and things were going smoothly. Sonny had dropped in about an hour ago and would be leaving around eleven so he could be home with his wife. Johnny had maintained a constant presence at the side of the stage, Francis was placed at the door and Max was standing outside with Sonny's limo. Things were going well for their third night and it was clear that the club was already making a profit.

His one problem; dealing with Elizabeth stripping at midnight. He hadn't figured that one out yet.

He didn't know why he had a problem with it. She was a stripper, that's what he hired her to do, that's what she had shown him last night in that back office, her beautiful body moving in rhythm with his, their sweaty bodies writhing together in that small leather chair.

He took a deep breath and then quickly finished the half bottle of beer that was in his hand. Working himself up right now was not a good idea. He had to figure out a way to calm himself before she appeared on stage later. Maybe he would just go out for a while or see if Sonny had anything for him to do.

Still, thinking about her back here, gyrating all over the stage, showing that perfect little body off to every man in the place. That would surely keep his mind off of work and have his rage going places it didn't need to be.

No, he had to figure this out; he had to find out what the hell was wrong with Elizabeth stripping. He didn't know her, they weren't friends, they were simply fuck buddies, something they decided to do to pass the time. According to Elizabeth, however, they weren't even that.

What had happened last night was something that she considered a bonus and it was something that he didn't mind dishing out money for. He was beginning to wonder if he promised her salary plus a bonus maybe he could have her stripping privately for him.

Damn fucking women, he thought as he opened another beer bottle. He needed to get out of this club before he was losing his mind.

His eyes were scanning the place again when he saw a smiling Elizabeth come out from the back with a tray in her hand, drinks on it. She was wearing a short leather skirt and a leather bikini top that barely contained her breasts. It looked like she had purposely bought once size too small. She was wearing ridiculous heels again that must have given her at least five inches in height.

She was delivering the drinks to a group of business men, leaning over and laughing, making sure they were getting a good view of her assets. His hand gripped the bottle as he saw one drape an arm around her naked waist and she leaned into him, laughing quietly at whatever he said.

This socializing with the customers was not going over well.

When one dropped something and Elizabeth offered to bend over to get it, revealing matching leather bikini bottoms Jason lost it, slamming the bottle down on the bar and motioning for Johnny to meet him at the other end.

"What's wrong boss?" Johnny asked.

"I don't care what the fuck you have to do," Jason growled, "You get her off this floor and you keep her off. I'm going out, tell Sonny if he needs me to call."

He stormed off, leaving Johnny thoroughly confused. He knew what woman Jason was referring to, he just had no idea that his boss was that affected by her. Heaving a sigh he made his way over to the table and excused both her and himself, pulling her away from the gawking men.

"You're done for the night," he said, "We're pulling you."

Elizabeth crossed her arms across her chest, "I'm assuming your Johnny?"

Johnny nodded.

"Yeah I tried interviewing with you but it seems like Jason wanted to see all the girls first," she smiled as she held out her hand, "I'm on at midnight. I hope you'll be watching and that I don't let you down."

Johnny smiled as he shook her hand. She could definitely keep Jason on his toes and he liked that. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like her reaction when he told her that she wouldn't be dancing.

"I'm sorry but we do have to pull you," he said, "Maybe I can catch you tomorrow night."

"I'm on the schedule," Elizabeth said, "I was told I'd be working the full week and I'm looking forward to this money."

Johnny shrugged, "There's nothing I can do."

"Well who the hell pulled me?" Elizabeth asked, her hands now on her hips.

Johnny bit back his smile, "Jason."

Her eyes flashed, "Where the fuck is he?"

He pointed towards the door, "He just left. He had somewhere else he had to be."

"Just left huh?" she said as she turned towards the door, "Jackass better pray that I catch him now instead of later. There is going to be hell to pay."

Johnny laughed as he watched her push her way out of the club and into the cold night air, nothing on her but the revealing clothes she wore. He was sorry he wouldn't be around for this fight.


	7. Chapter 7

_I believe this chapter fits under the Mature rating that I give this fic, its very hard R some could call it worse but I wouldn't. Please feel free to let me know if you are offended and would like it removed._

Elizabeth slammed her palms against the door to _Lily's_ as she stormed out of the club, her heels clicking against the asphalt beneath her. Before she even had a chance to look for him, she felt the goose bumps rise on her arms, her body shivering in the cold night air.

It wasn't her most brilliant idea to go after Jason in twenty degree weather wearing nothing more than a bikini, but she was fuming and the frigid temperatures just added to her fury.

He was dead, literally.

Her eyes narrowed as she quickly scanned the parking lot and found a limo, parked twenty feet away with Jason standing on the driver's side talking to a man a little smaller than him in a suit.

Tiny hands clenched in fists, she made her way over.

This man thought he could yank her off the floor without so much of how come and get away with it? Boy had another thing coming to him. If she could she would quit right now and leave him high and dry for another dancer.

But the man was gorgeous, an asshole, but still gorgeous.

"Jason, I need to have a word with you!" she yelled as she made her way towards him and the unknown man.

Jason looked up and saw her coming. He nearly groaned when he realized that she was out here for a fight but felt that impulse die down when he saw she was still dressed in that leather outfit and nothing more.

"Elizabeth…"

"Don't you Elizabeth me," she said pushing his hands away as he moved towards her, "How dare you think you can just order me off of the floor…"

"Put this on," Jason said as he quickly shucked out of his coat and started to place it around her shoulders.

"No, no, stop it!" she squeaked as she tried to bat his hands away but it was no use. He had more strength than her and he was practically forcing her arms into his leather coat.

"You can yell at me all you want after you put this on," he said as he adjusted it and then zippered the jacket, "What on earth possessed you to come out here and…"

"Me?" she practically screamed, "You had some bodyguard tell me that you don't want me working tonight and you think that you can…" she stopped when she noticed the unknown man staring at them with a small smirk on his face, "I'm sorry, could you excuse us for a second?"

"This is Max," Jason said, "And no he can't, we have someplace we have to be."

"You have to tell me what the hell is going on," she said as her foot started tapping rapidly against the pavement, "You don't get to order me around and then leave. That's not how it works, I want a reason and if you want me to stand out here and explain to Max why I think you owe me a reason…"

"Give us a minute," Jason said and motioned for Max to wait inside for him.

Max nodded and moved past Elizabeth, "It was nice to meet you, um?"

"Lizzie Webber," she smiled sweetly as she held out her hand and cooed when he bent down and kissed the back of it, "Please, come see me sometime."

"Max," Jason growled and his eyes narrowed when the guard chuckled before he headed into the club.

"That," Elizabeth said as she turned back towards him, "Was uncalled for. What is with your attitude? Jason, I don't know what is going on here but I was under the impression that I was hired to do a job, a stripping job, and I can't do that when you pull me off the floor. Not only that but I can't earn money and I'm not sure about you, but with my life, you can't buy clothes, buy food, maintain a living without money."

Jason's eyes moved back to her, seizing her up quickly before they moved back to the parking lot, taking note of the new people arriving. She had no idea what she was doing to him standing there, her eyes full of fire, in that damn leather outfit.

He never did feel the cold but he was always aware of it and the environment that he was in. However Elizabeth was making this blistery night in Port Charles feel like a sunny day down on Sonny's island.

"Are you going to stand there and ignore me?" she asked as she crossed her arms across her chest. She smirked and rolled her eyes, "That's fine. Last night was fun and I enjoyed it. I'm just sorry you are not man enough to handle other man looking at me while I'm working…"

"This has nothing to do with that," Jason said his eyes snapping back to her.

"This has everything to do with it," she yelled back as she moved closer to him, "And I've been down this road before hon, a man gets too attached, thinks I'm his girlfriend, doesn't realize that I'm only in it for…"

"Money right? Because your so broke, Lizzie?" he asked as he started to move towards her.

Elizabeth felt the need to step back. The night that she was hired she told Jason to call her Lizzie and he never abided by it, always choosing to call her Elizabeth instead, even in moments of passion. The fact that he was changing his choice of names for her made her a little worried.

"How about I give you money than, Lizzie? How about I pay you to dance for me, strip for me, do all sorts of things for me," he leaned towards her, his callous fingers skimming her smooth pale cheek, "What do you say baby?"

She bit her bottom lip as she ran her hands up his body, "So I can be your private prostitute?" she whispered as she ran her fingers over his muscled chest, "Your very own little whore?" She curled her fingers in his blue tee shirt and shoved him back, causing him to stumble slightly, "No thanks asshole."

Elizabeth turned to move away from him, ready to pack her things, ready to move on from this city of crazy loons and be done with it. If she wanted to be treated like a whore she would've stayed where she was. She was running for a reason and she should've never stopped.

It was those fucking blue eyes that made her falter.

Jason steadied himself, planting his booted feet on the ground and reached out to grab her with one hand, wrapping it around her arm, "This is my club…"

"This is Sonny's club," she said pulling away, "And I was trying to do what I was hired to do."

"And I'm sure that since you've had your fun with me you'll move right onto the guards," he said, "And then maybe the customers and then maybe Sonny. Just to let you know he's married so don't expect him to let you into his bed too quickly or…"

Elizabeth slapped him hard across his face, her own hand stinging from the blow. It didn't seem to faze him, he simply reached out and grabbed her wrists, pulling them up against his chest, pinning her back against the long black limousine.

"Not a wise move," he whispered quietly.

"I hate you," she seethed, her faces centimeters from his, "I quit. I already feel like enough of a whore, I'll be damned if I let you call me one."

Jason kissed her. He closed the distance between them and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth, his body moved against hers, his fingers released her wrists and slid into her hair. Over and over his mouth ravaged hers, unable to get enough and the most pleasurable thing was that she was kissing him back just as fiercely.

She was trying to listen to her head as it screamed to run the other way and never look back but she couldn't, not when there was a throbbing between her thighs that would not be ignored. She wrapped her arms around him, her hands twisting in the back of his tee shirt as his lips moved down towards her neck, nipping gently as she groaned and moved her hips against his.

God he was making her weak and she wanted him to take her right here in the parking lot. He might have too if some loud whistles didn't break through the hazy fog that surrounded them. She didn't look up, he moved his head towards the sound and she took advantage, standing up on her high heels and biting his Adam's apple, causing his attention to revert right back to her.

His eyes blazed, his hands shook as he grabbed her again and pulled open the door to the limo. She was practically thrown in and he followed, slamming it behind him as his body met hers on the leather seat.

Their tongues clashed as their hands move frantically. He was trying to unzip the leather coat he placed around her only a few short minutes ago. She was tearing at his tee shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it somewhere. Her bright red nails scrapped against his back, leaving streaks of red marks almost identical to the ones from last night. Before she had a chance to reach for his jeans she felt herself being lowered, her back coming in contact with the leather seat as she arched her body against his.

His lips were moving again, over her chin, down her neck as his hands pushed her bikini top up, causing it to bunch somewhere between his lips and her breasts. He wasn't deterred, he just moved around the smooth leather and caught her nipple in his mouth, sucking, biting, doing anything that caused her to writhe beneath him.

"Jason…Jason, Ja…" she panted as she ran her fingers through his spiky hair. She couldn't get his attention if she had the strength to try but she didn't. His tongue was flicking at her belly button, his teeth enjoying it like it was a new play toy before his hands found a new piece of offensive material. The bikini underwear that matched the rest of the outfit.

He groaned and sat back on his haunches, crouching slightly, avoiding bumping his head on the ceiling. He pushed her skirt up quickly and then fiddled with the bikini ties, sighing when they came undone and he peeled them off, revealing herself to him.

Wet and waiting, just how he liked it.

He could feel her fingers reaching for him, trying to undo his button but he batted them away, handling it himself and undoing his zipper. The rest could wait, he had a million ways to torture Elizabeth on his mind and he waned to carry them out.

He bent back down towards her, his lips skimming over her smooth stomach again as he moved his way down further, then further still, his tongue running over the leather before Elizabeth realized what he was doing and she froze, gripping his hair painfully, trying to get his attention.

"Jason, no," she pleaded. He wasn't listening. He was concentrating on wanting to bring her pleasure and she wanted nothing more than that, especially with the way her body seemed to respond to him but they couldn't this way, not yet.

"Jason," she moaned and then she squeezed her legs shut before he reached her, his face looking up at hers curiously. She shook her head, tugging at him again before he moved up towards her. He was kissing her before she finally let her legs relax, curving them around his.

"What?" he whispered as he pulled back before moving to nip gently at her ear, "What did I do?"

She shook her head as she moved her lower body in tune with his, grasping his backside in her hands, pressing him fully against her, him nestled in the cradle of her thighs.

"Nothing, not yet," she whispered looking up at him, her eyes hazy with passion and pleading with an unspoken question.

His body wouldn't let him ask anymore questions, not when he could feel her seeping through his own jeans. He growled and then he leaned down, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, running his tongue across it, sucking on it gently until he released it from its prison, swollen and bruised.

Elizabeth was fishing around in his jean pockets, fumbling for his wallet and finding it. She flipped through it, hoping that with the errands he ran today one of them was to the drug store.

"Yes," she sighed as she found the condom and fumbled with the foil, dropping his wallet to the floor.

"Let me," he said reaching for it as she pushed down his jeans and boxers, his manhood brushing against her thigh.

She realized that she never knew how much self restraint she had until that very moment. She wanted nothing more than to have Jason thrust inside of her, bury himself deep and not stop until they were both passed out from the pleasure, but she waited until the condom was pulled out and slid down his long, hard length.

Then he thrust inside of her, then she was lost, then she truly found passion.

He caressed her thigh as she brought it up around him, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper with every move that he made. She was squeezing her body around his, holding him before releasing him, relishing in the pleasure she knew that she was putting on his face.

She could feel him shaking, she was there too as he slid his hands under her ass and pulled her forward, losing himself further and further inside of her. She felt like she was going to pass out from the loss of air when it finally hit her, that unfamiliar bliss and she heard him shout out her name before tumbling over the edge.

He nearly collapsed on top of her and tried to adjust his body so that his weight didn't full rest on her. Their exhaustion was overcoming them. Between the argument and the sex their bodies didn't have the will to move so she laid there as he tried to keep from crushing her by bracing his body on two shaky arms.

Elizabeth kept her eyes closed as their heavy breathing echoed around the spacious limo. She knew that if Jason continued this kind of behavior there was no way she was going to be able to leave in two weeks.

No, make that ten days.

A sigh escaped her lips as he finally moved away from her. She curled her legs up against her body as she watched him sit on the end of the seat and adjust his pants. He had no idea the way he was affecting her just by being him. She hated it.

"If you want to go back in there and work the poles you can," he said as he zipped his jeans, missing the wince on her face, "I'd much rather you come into the back office with me and figure out the payroll books. We could just…talk."

Talk. Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she had a decent conversation with a man.

"I could make some coffee," he said as he made himself more comfortable in the seat, "Or whatever."

She felt a small smile tug on her lips as his warm hand came to rest on her thigh, "I'll be a good distraction," she said as she reached down and tied the strings on bikini bottom.

Jason's eyes were on her as she adjusted the top to her bikini and then sat up, smoothing down the leather skirt that his rough hands pushed up only a few minutes ago. Short, passionate, pleasure filled minutes.

My God what this woman was doing to him?

"I'll try," he said as he leaned over and wove his fingers through her hair, pulling her in for a kiss, "I won't be able to be out there, to watch it, but I'll try to understand, to…allow it."

She grinned devilishly at him as she leaned down on the floor and reached for his leather coat, holding it out to him, "The sex afterwards will be amazing. You all angry and bothered, me all hot and horny."

He laughed as he slid his coat around her shoulders, this time her arms willingly going into the sleeves, "Please don't come storming after me again without a coat, or some decent clothes, on." He took her face in his hands again; his blue eyes becoming stormy, "And don't wear leather."

"I won't," she said wiping some lipstick off of the corner of his mouth, "At least not for any of them."

Jason growled as he leaned in for another kiss then reached behind her for the door handle. If one of them didn't make the move, they would be back on the seat in no time and technically this wasn't his limo.

Elizabeth laughed against his mouth as she felt him fiddling with the door. She could feel it too, the wanting coming back, the undeniable heat between them. She pulled away and smiled, her eyes promising more pleasure when she heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

They both froze, their eyes meeting the person who interrupted them.

Sonny grinned as he knelt down towards the open door to his limo, "I'm glad you two finally got what I was trying to say."

Elizabeth buried her face in Jason's neck as he turned away, hiding his blush, all the while Sonny's laughter filling their ears.


	8. Chapter 8

Elizabeth grinned as she swung her legs back and forth in front of her from where she was perched on top of the bar at _Lily's_.

Life was wonderful, so wonderful in fact that she just wanted to pinch herself to make sure she was awake and not dreaming the fantastic events of the past seven days.

She wanted to call it bliss, but she never felt bliss before, so she wasn't sure it was that. It was akin to that feeling she felt after Jason's hands worked their magic and she exploded into a million tiny pieces, breathing shallow, heart ready to burst from her chest. Now that, that had to be bliss, this emotion, this was simply fantastic.

She sighed loudly before taking another sip from the beer in her hand. It was only nine a.m. and she hadn't turned in until after five but she couldn't sleep, not with the dreams she was having and she didn't want anyone waking her up and inquiring about her not so subtle moans. She had made a decision that after the second one she had to get up and do something other than dream about Jason Morgan undressing her, caressing her, doing things to her that was deliciously sinful.

So she came downstairs in a short Grumpy Bear tee shirt, hopped up on the bar, grabbed a beer from behind it and day dreamed, about Jason Morgan, undressing her, caressing her, doing things to her that was deliciously sinful.

Elizabeth giggled and she knew that it was awful. She never giggled but this man was driving her insane. That night that Sonny caught them together in the limo was embarrassing and she thought she would die of mortification until Jason drug her back to the office and then burst out laughing. For a moment she had thought that he had lost it but then she saw the humor in it as well and joined in. Sonny wasn't mad, he was basically telling him he told them so, that and declaring that he was going to be driving in the front seat with Max until his car got detailed.

She was glad to be working for Sonny and Jason, finding out more about these two men was making her very comfortable, making her feel relaxed, a feeling she hadn't felt in years. She knew that she shouldn't be letting her guard down, she should always be looking over her shoulder but she could no longer do that when she was surrounded by bodyguards and worked in a club that was practically invitation only. An army couldn't penetrate Sonny's fortresses', a girl couldn't ask for more.

Well, maybe a stable home and a job that didn't involve taking your clothes off but Elizabeth wasn't going to complain, she was going to take what she could get.

She got Jason Morgan and she was running with it.

Hopping down from the bar, she tossed her bottle away and was going to head into the office, find that magazine Jason tossed at her last week while he was doing the books. Needless to say payroll still wasn't done and the magazine hadn't been read cover to cover. She thought she might even still have splinter or two left in her back from the door.

This was definitely wonderful.

"What the hell are you doing up this early?"

Elizabeth stopped quickly as she almost bumped into Candy who was standing there before her in a pair of jeans that were two sizes too small and a top that barely covered her breasts. She hoped the girl would be at least putting a coat on before she went out.

Elizabeth shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest, no she didn't, this was Candy, girl was a bitch to her, let her freeze her fake ass off.

"I'm afraid that's none of your business," Elizabeth said, "But since you're so interested I'll tell you that I couldn't sleep. It happens."

"Maybe you'd be able to get more sleep if you'd stop throwing yourself at the owner so damn much," Candy said with an unladylike like snort, "Jason Morgan doesn't want you. He prefers blonds."

Elizabeth tried to hold back her laughter but was unsuccessful. Apparently she and Jason were hiding their relationship well, at least from people that worked out of the ten foot area of his office.

"Jason doesn't own this club, Sonny does," Elizabeth said as she moved around Candy, "And I have things to do."

"You should find something more interesting to do than hang around here all day, Lizzie," Candy said, "Sonny and Jason are equal partners, Sonny's named this place sure, and he gets the publicity because Jason's too shy but it is Jason's place as well. Fucking him will get you nowhere but out on the street, especially if you fuck as horribly as you dance."

"While you're out there, picking up your little gossip," Elizabeth said moving back towards Candy, "Do yourself a favor and pick up a brain. I don't have to fuck Jason Morgan to keep or lose my job; I got a compliment personally from Mr. Corinthos letting me know that he was pleased with my work. Guess he likes the real shit, Candy, sorry for you."

Candy scoffed and raised her hand to slap Elizabeth but Elizabeth saw it coming, taking a step back and watching Candy swing, her palm coming in contact with the edge of the bar. She cried out in pain as Elizabeth laughed again.

"This is our place of business so I am not going to start or finish anything here," Elizabeth said, "I need this job but so help me God if I ever leave this place and find you out on the street..."

"Your just out of the cradle, you can't hurt me," Candy seethed as she rubbed her palm.

The corner's of Elizabeth's mouth were tugged upwards but her eyes narrowed, turning to an inky dark blue, "Everyone can I'm assume that I'm a kid, that I'm not familiar with this world and I have no idea what's going on in the real one but I've got something that you can pass along to everyone in the back. You don't know where I've come from, you don't know what I've been through and you do not want to find out what I'm capable of."

Candy opened her mouth to speak but a small burst of laughter seeped through Elizabeth's lips, cutting her off.

"Try me," she said quietly, "Because I can disappear as quickly as I appeared in Port Charles," her smile started to fade, "And so can you."

"Is there a problem?"

Elizabeth's eyes blinked before they looked past Candy to where Jason stood at the door, his hands encased in leather gloves and a sprinkling of white snow settled in his spiky hair. He was wearing his leather jacket and a pair of jeans along with those motorcycle boots that she loved so much. She was sure he was wearing a tee shirt underneath, he always did and he always looked hot as hell in them.

"No, no problem," Candy said as she gave Elizabeth one last glare before heading towards the door, "It's always a pleasure seeing you, Jason. I do wish you hung around long enough at night to watch us girls perform. We really like to hear your opinion."

"He's too busy figuring out the books so he can pay your asses," Elizabeth growled at as her bare foot started tapping against the hardwood floor, "Weren't you leaving?"

"I hope to see you later, Jas," Candy said as she threw him a sensual smile before she grabbed a puffy fur coat by the door and slipped it on while stepping outside.

"What was that all about?" Jason asked as he looked at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wanted to hit him; he was actually smirking, thinking that it was funny that Candy was trying to make her jealous. She'd show him, she didn't get jealous, no matter what color your eyes were or how tight those jeans fit.

"Nothing," she said as she moved around the bar. She decided she needed another drink, "Candy was trying to tell me that I wasn't good enough to work here, I wasn't making Sonny happy, I should stop throwing myself at you, you know that shit. I told her that I'm not as innocent as people perceive and she took that as an invitation to flirt with you thinking it would bother me."

"And of course it didn't," Jason said as he rested his elbows on the bar and watched her fiddle around with the vodka bottles, trying to decide which want she wanted.

Her eyes snapped up to him, "You can flirt with whomever the fuck you want, Morgan."

Jason laughed as he reached over and took her chin between his fingers, pulling her closer, "I have to adjust to you stripping for a bunch of strangers, you have to adjust to strippers hitting on me."

A small smile was tugging at Elizabeth's lips, "I hate you."

"And you do it in the most wonderful way."

He swallowed her laughter with his lips and she wrapped her arm around him, deepening the kiss before releasing him and playing with the spikes on his hair, "What brings you by so early?"

"Johnny told me that he noticed the past few nights when he was switching shifts in the a.m. that you were getting up really early, at least, for someone who gets to bed when you do," Jason said, "I wanted to see if anything was wrong."

She shook her head, her chestnut hair falling around her, "I don't sleep a lot, never could."

Jason shrugged, "Me either, I get what I need to function."

"Just another thing we have in common," Elizabeth smiled, "I appreciate you checking on me."

"Well," Jason said as he moved away from the bar, "That and I also wanted to see if you'd like to go to breakfast. I heard you don't go out a lot."

"You hear a lot of things," Elizabeth said warily.

"I'm sorry," Jason said holding his hands up, "I like to keep an eye on things around here."

"Mmm-hmm," she murmured.

"Anyway," Jason said clearing his throat as his eyes started to sparkle. He loved that he could banter with her, even that got his blood warming, "It's called Kelly's, it's my favorite place to eat. I figured you might like to try it out."

"You're on," Elizabeth said as she tugged on her tee shirt, "Give me a few minutes to get changed."

"You can go in that, I won't mind."

She rolled her eyes as she made her way back down the lengthy hallway, "If I went like this, we wouldn't make it."

Jason's laughter followed her all the way up the stairs.

"I can see why they're hiring," Elizabeth smiled as she watched the hustle and bustle of the morning shift at Kelly's diner, "And the food is amazing."

"Isn't it?" Jason asked as he reached over with his fork and picked up a piece of her pancakes.

"Hey!" she squealed as she reached over and grabbed a strip of bacon, stuffing it in her mouth.

"That was bigger," Jason said as he leaned over and pulled her into a kiss, his tongue searching for the pieces of bacon that were in her mouth. He could feel her laughing under his lips and her cheek was becoming warm under his hand.

When he pulled back he could tell she was blushing as she ducked her face to hide it, "What?"

"I've never had anyone do that to me in public before," she whispered as she leaned towards him, "I'm not use to it."

"I don't see how any man could be around you and not want to touch you," he said as he picked up another piece of his bacon and fed it to her.

She chewed it slowly and then smiled softly at him, "You're the only man who has actually taken me out in public."

"How did you get here, Elizabeth?" he asked and then watched the light dim in her eyes, "What brought you into this crazy life you have?"

"Same old story," she said pushing her plate away, feeling her appetite all but disappear, "Lost my parents, shifted from foster home to foster home, found a man who said I was beautiful, wanted to make me rich, all I had to do was learn how to dance."

"Elizabeth…"

"Jason, please," she said as she tried to blink away the tears, "I really don't want to get into how I got here. I'm here and I'm dealing with it. I'm trying to save up so I can stop it," she forced a smile on her face, "I decided I want to retire in the Virgin Islands or maybe Hawaii. I can hula."

Jason reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently, "I believe it. I wasn't bringing you out here to grill you, I just…I guess wanted to know what else you liked besides sex."

She smiled as she laced her fingers with his, "I don't just like sex, I like it with you," she winked at him, "And I like rowdy bars and beers and classic movies and the color red and I love leather, especially when you're wearing it."

"That feeling is mutual," he said as he put his fork down and slid his hand beneath the table, "What else do you like?"

"80's cartoons," she laughed, "If you don't already know that from my tee shirt collection. I'm a child at…" she squeaked when she felt the heat of Jason's hand through her jeans, "Jason…"

"I'm listening," he said with a grin on his face.

"I'm not able to concentrate," she said as she licked her lips, "Because every time that you touch me, my brain starts screaming things that I shouldn't be listening to."

"I love your brain."

"You should hear what my body says…don't even respond to that," she said holding her hand up and sighing when he shifted his chair closer to her, his palm sliding between her legs, "There's only been one day since I've met you when we haven't screwed. That only happened because I showed up an hour before opening and you told me I couldn't strip."

"Are you complaining that I spend too much time touching you?" he asked as his chair moved closer still, the edge of it bumping up against hers. He pulled her leg up over his thighs and returned his hand to its position, this time allowing it to run up and down her inner thigh.

"Jason," she said on a shaky breath as she watched those beautiful blue eyes darken, "I don't think you are aware of what you do to me."

He leaned closer to her, smelling that lovely fruit flavored shampoo she used on her hair. Today it smelled like peaches. He smiled, leaning in to kiss her before pulling back, causing her to sigh.

"I don't think you realized what you just said, Elizabeth," he watched her eyes flutter, surprise on her face as if she realized that she admitted he had control over her. He decided since she took a step, he might as well, "You do the same things to me," he whispered before he did kiss her, his tongue slipping into her mouth easily, causing her to moan softly.

Elizabeth pulled back, her hands coming up to rest on his cheeks, "We're in a family restaurant, we can't, Jason."

"I know, I know," he nodded before leaning into kiss her again, pulling back breathing heavily, "If only I knew how to stop wanting you all the time."

"It's a blessing and a curse," she breathed before she kissed him again, until a waitress was standing over them, clearing her throat.

"There are children present," she said dropping their bill in front of them and then turning off, huffing along the way.

Elizabeth leaned over and laughed into Jason's shoulder while he grabbed the bill and pushed her leg off of his thighs. He dropped two twenty's on the table, a tip that the waitress didn't deserve, and then held his hand out to help Elizabeth up from her seat.

She threaded her fingers through his and grabbed another piece of bacon before they headed outside, the cold weather enough to prevent her blood from boiling. The two of them could probably go to the zoo, surrounded by children of all ages, and still wouldn't be able to keep their hands off of each other.

Definitely a curse, she thought and then felt his hand warm the small of her back, definitely a blessing.

"I know you're off tonight," he said quietly as he looked down at her, "I managed to get some time off from Sonny. I was wondering if you wanted to stay at my place."

Elizabeth looked up at him, butterflies fluttering around her stomach at the thought of being all alone with Jason, in a real bed, with no one able to disturb them. The thought both thrilled and scared her to death. No man had ever invited her back to his place, not to stay for the night, not for hours of unending pleasure that would surely drive her out of her mind.

She closed her eyes, desperately wanting to say yes but when she opened them back up and saw his blue ones, patiently waiting for an answer she knew that she couldn't.

Shaking her head she stepped away from him, "I was hoping that you could just drop me off at the hospital when we were through breakfast."

"Hospital?" he asked as the palms of his hands came to rest under her elbows, "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Elizabeth shook her head again and looked away from him, "No, I just…" she looked back at him, her face devoid of all emotion, "I need to get an HIV test done."


	9. Chapter 9

Jason paced the length of the penthouse, back and forth, from the fireplace to the door, for the past hour, trying to rid his body of the anger, the frustration, the helplessness. He showed up here after he deposited Elizabeth off at the front doors of General Hospital. He asked her if she would like him to come in, and she smiled softly and told him no and then she disappeared behind the motioned censored doors.

Now he was going crazy, not knowing what to do with himself. He could've gone to the warehouse caught up on some of the paperwork they were behind on. He also could've dropped in at the club, checked in on the liquor shipments, checked up on some of the girls, finished up the payroll book. Hell, he could've gone out and shot somebody but none of those things would've fixed what was going on.

He was worried to death about Elizabeth Webber.

And he didn't know how he got there, to the point of worrying about her, about her safety, about what she wore, about who she danced for, about whether or not she was going to see tomorrow. His first thought of her was that she was a tiny little sex pot who couldn't be more than sixteen, his second was that she was too naïve to know what world she was stepping into and the third was how often he could get her into his bed without making things dull.

But things were never dull with Elizabeth. She proved that even though she was young, she had been around the circuit and she wasn't going to take any crap from any of the other girls that worked there. She maintained professionalism with the men who visited the club and the guards were quickly growing fond of her. He had even caught Sonny talking to her a few times, letting her know that she could always get out of dancing, a sad look on his face as if he were trying to save her and he probably was. He was probably trying to right the wrong he made with Karen Wexler.

She was squeezing herself into so many people's lives around here and she didn't even know it. He heard her talk, heard her say that she wouldn't be around long, just needed enough money to move onto some exotic location where she could start all over.

At first, Jason had wanted that for her, he wanted the little vixen out of his hair. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Jason?" Sonny said surprised from the door and frowned when his enforcer did nothing but continue to pace the length of the penthouse, "Jason," he said more firmly this time and Jason looked at him, his blue eyes anguished and Sonny entered his home, closing the door shut behind him.

"I was…I…"

"Did something happen at the club?" Sonny asked as he approached Jason when he finally stopped pacing, "No? The warehouse, then?" When Jason still didn't respond, Sonny nodded and turned away, realizing what this had to be about, "Elizabeth."

"What?" Jason asked, "How did you…"

"There aren't many things around, Jason, that would upset you," Sonny said quietly, "And if it doesn't have anything to do with business…"

"She just went to get a test done," Jason said as he ran his hand through his spiky hair, "I guess I was a little nervous about it."

"Why didn't you stay with her?" Sonny asked pulling off his long trench coat, "I told you to take the day off. If you needed more time it wouldn't have been a problem."

"She didn't want me there," Jason said as he moved over towards the couch and sat down heavily on it, "She stated that she had done this before and it wouldn't take that long. She would see me later if I still wanted to meet up."

Sonny looked at him curiously and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking towards the couch, "Is it a pregnancy test?"

Jason shook his head and his blue eyes, slightly misty, met Sonny's, "No, it's not."

Sonny nodded knowingly, "Then it's an AIDS test."

Elizabeth stepped off of the elevator and onto the third floor of General Hospital. She was a little nervous; she wasn't use to fancy hospital buildings with live plants in every corner and nurses that look like they actually cared about why the patient was here. The places she usually frequented for tests like these were run-down clinics on the same corner she was working.

This place seemed way out of her league, but this is where Jason took her. He had pulled up and said that this was the best place in town for medicinal purposes. He offered to come in with her but Elizabeth knew that their relationship had not progressed that far. She couldn't sit in the lobby, holding his hand, waiting for her name to be called to see if this time she would make the list.

No, she wouldn't put him through that, not when he barely knew her, when they barely knew each other, and this was something standard in her line of work. Did she think she had the disease known as HIV? No, she used protection every time and kept good track of any partners that she welcomed into her bed, with a rare drunk occasion that had her waking up with a stranger. But she knew there was always that chance, she knew that no matter how good the diaphragm was or how well the condom was placed something could happen - a rip, a snare, a hole - something that could take her bad life and make it even worse.

Why did she do it? Many people had asked her, why she continued to strip, why she took men to her bed, why was she in this world when her beautiful face could take her so many other places? It was simply because. 

Because she didn't say no to the first boy she ever loved, because he had introduced her to someone else, because that person asked her to dance, because that person was smooth as silk with the gorgeous looks to match, because that person wanted to make it better, because that person controlled the game, because that person pretended to care.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and closed her eyes, wishing away the images that danced in front of her. She couldn't go back there, she had her chance to escape and she took it. She no longer had to do what he said; she no longer had to take strangers to her bed. She had to dance, she had money put aside and she was with Jason because she wanted to be. She was here because she didn't want him hurt. She knew she was clean; she knew she was safe but she wanted that hundred percent positive reinforcement that she could give him, she owed him at least that.

After all, he had given her more than he knew.

Placing one foot in front of the other Elizabeth made her way to the nurses' station, smiling politely as she placed her hands on the edge of the counter, "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. I need help; I kinda don't know how things are done around here."

The petite brunette behind the counter with the mocha colored skin smiled back at her, "Hopefully I can help you. What is it that you need?"

"I'm here…I actually…" Elizabeth bit her lip as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and started fiddling with her fingers, "I have to take an HIV test and I don't have a doctor's note or a blood note thing or…at the clinic they don't really request that stuff and…"

The woman placed her hand over Elizabeth's twitching fingers and squeezed it gently, "It's okay," she turned around and reached for a clipboard behind her, "These are standard forms that we need you to fill out with your basic information. Is there anyone here with you?"

"No," Elizabeth said taking the forms and shaking her head, "No, I can't really stand being here with someone else. I'd rather do it by myself."

"Sometimes its easier if you have a friend," she said quietly, "But I won't push. It sounds like you've been through this before."

"Too many times," Elizabeth said looking down at the clipboard, "And I know that you'll mean well but right now I can't…"

"Let me get you a pen," she said smiling as she handed on to her, "Would you like me to help you fill those forms out? I'm going to be the one drawing the blood so I can be there every step of the way."

"I…" Elizabeth stopped. She normally would tell the nurse to go away until the blood was drawn and then head on out of here and get back to the club for a couple of beers before opening. But that was back in Connecticut and Chicago and California. This time was different. "I'm Elizabeth Webber," she said quietly as she held out her hand.

The nurse took it and smiled softly, "I'm Lily. Lily Corinthos."

"I know how to deal with someone who has HIV," Jason said quietly as he sat on the couch rubbing his hands together, "Robin taught me what to do and how to act, what was safe, what was not safe, what was right. I get that, I get condoms and open wounds and everything like that but she didn't tell me about the wait, Sonny. I don't know what to do when someone that I…someone that I know is sitting in a hospital all alone, ready to take a test for it, then they have to go home, go back to that stupid club, crammed into a room with three other girls and wait by the phone, wait for those results, I just…" he growled in frustration and stood up, running both of his hands through his hair, "I should've went to Jake's."

"Busting the place up is not going to fix this," Sonny said as he looked up at him from the couch, "And after you were done and your fists were all bloody you'd still have to face this with Elizabeth." He sighed as he ran his hand over his face, "Did she tell you that she was worried she passed…"

"No," Jason said, "No. She told me at first that she always needed something, in this business, so I knew that she was careful and I didn't think past that. I mean…" his eyes grew wide at the thought, "She's only eighteen, Sonny. What has she been through that she's had that many partners or people that she didn't know that she has to take this test?"

"Jason, I don't…"

"And I'm trying to still trace her," Jason said, "I don't want to because that's saying that I don't trust her, I do. Well I mean as much as I could. All I have is proof that she was born and that her parents died at a young age, I can't find anything else. I can't find the clubs that she worked at, the people she dealt with, nothing."

Sonny looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Does that tell you something? Maybe the people she worked for before didn't want her to be found, Jason."

Jason nodded, "Who in the organization do we know that owns a dance club up in Connecticut."

"No one," Sonny said as he leaned back on the couch, laying his arm across the back of it, "And I wasn't referring to just that."

"Okay," Jason said walking back towards the couch, "What were you referring to?"

"How long has she been eighteen?" Sonny asked quietly, "How long has she been in this business, Jason? If your head is on right, and your determined, and you know what you're doing the FBI is not going to find underage girls in your club."

Jason felt his body slowly lowering itself to the couch, "So you're implying that she's been doing this for a few years now."

"I'm not implying anything," Sonny said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I've been there and I was doing fine until I got distracted, until I screwed it all up. If I had a little more control back then, maybe…" he sighed and looked away, "I'm glad I didn't, I'm glad that Karen was able to walk away."

"Okay," Jason said as he faced Sonny, "How do I make Elizabeth walk away?"

Sonny shook his head, "You don't, you can't. This is her choice. Karen, she was underage Jason and people could make decisions for her. Elizabeth, she's reached the point where she's an adult, she makes her own choices and it seems like she's been doing that for quite a few years."

"The thought of her stripping at…"

"You can barely handle the thought of her stripping now," Sonny said with a small smile, "Don't drive yourself crazy thinking about it back then."

Jason felt a smile tug at his own lips and he ran his hands up and down his face. Sonny was right about that. He had a hard enough time staying in the back office when Elizabeth was on stage and all the men were hooting and hollering for her. If he envisioned her back then, dancing for men when she should've been out at the mall with her friends, he would literally kill someone.

"How do I find out more?" Jason asked, "What can I do to get whatever information I can on where she came from and who…" he cleared his throat, "I have to be missing something."

Sonny nodded, "I might be able to find out something. I still have some connections in that part of the business," he ran his hand over the side of his face, "Are you sure you want to go there Jason? Wouldn't it be better if you just asked her?""I did, I tried," Jason said quietly, "It seems like it causes her too much pain." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "The last thing I want to do is hurt Elizabeth any more than she already has been."

"I take it by the look on your face you have heard of my husband," Lily said quietly.

"Um," Elizabeth looked away licking her lips.

"That's a normal reaction," Lily said, "People don't know what to say to the wife of an alleged mobster. I'm used to it, I grew up in this life," she smiled sadly, "You don't make a lot of friends in this business but the ones you have are ones that you will keep for life."

Elizabeth shook her head, "I could care less about what business your husband or Jason are in."

Lily's eyebrows rose slightly at the mention of Jason Morgan.

"It's just a little uncomfortable," Elizabeth continued as she pointed to the space where it said employment information on the clipboard, "Because I work for him."

"Oh," Lily smiled softly, "Are you one of the new hostesses?"

"I'm a dancer," Elizabeth said and looked away from the brunettes penetrating brown eyes, "I strip at the club he obviously named after you."

Lily laughed softly, "This whole town expected me to be furious over that. I think they were even more upset when I wasn't. The club was actually my idea, something I threw in while Jason and Sonny were talking. I had no idea they would take me seriously," her face light up when she spoke of her husband, "I should know Sonny well enough by now to know that he would take a dare when I'm the one who gives it to him."

Elizabeth smiled, "That sounds like Sonny," she blushed slightly, "Your husband has been very kind to me. I think he's wonderful, no matter what anybody says. He's the first friend I've had in a very long time."

"I'd like to be the second," Lily said as she came around the nurse's station and took Elizabeth by the arm, leading her back towards a private room.

"I'd like that too," Elizabeth said as she sat down in the chair that Lily motioned for her to sit in. She quickly propped up the clipboard on her legs and started to scrawl out the information requested, leaving the family and contact information blank.

"So," Lily said as she pulled out a vial for the blood to be placed into, "If Sonny's your first friend and I'm your second, where does that leave Jason?"

Elizabeth's hand froze on the page as she looked up at Lily, her eyes wide.

Lily laughed softly and nodded knowingly while she grabbed some cotton swabs, "He's the reason you're here."

Elizabeth felt the roots of her hair turn red as she turned back to the paperwork in front of her, determined to finish it, "No, it's…" she bit her lip and looked up when Lily placed a hand on her wrist.

"You don't have to explain to me what's going on between you and Jason," Lily said quietly, "I know him and I know that he's not the kind of man to take advantage of a woman."

"Is he the kind of man to sleep with someone the second night he met her?" Elizabeth asked then looked back down at the clipboard, signing her name, "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me to say."

"He's not," Lily said as she took the paperwork from Elizabeth, "And I have a feeling that you're not either."

Elizabeth ran her sweaty palms up and down her jeans, "I'm here for a reason."

Lily nodded as she wrapped a band around Elizabeth's arm, "Make a fist. Do you have reason to believe that you have been infected with the HIV virus?"

Elizabeth shook her head and looked away. After all these times in chairs just like this one she still couldn't stand the sight of her own blood, "No. I just…"

"This is going to pinch, sting just a little," Lily said quietly.

"Jason isn't in danger, this is just a precaution. He…" Elizabeth blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling tears suddenly appear, "He is a friend and I don't want to hurt him."

"This will make sure you won't," Lily said as she placed a band-aid over Elizabeth's arm, "You're done. These results can take up two weeks."

Elizabeth sighed as she rested her head back against the chair. Two weeks? She was supposed to be leaving town in five days, "Can I get these forwarded to me somewhere?"

"I'm sorry," Lily said as she finished writing on a label that was then placed on Elizabeth's vile, "Are you going on vacation?"

"No," Elizabeth said softly, "No, I'm not going anywhere."

At least not for another two weeks, she thought.

"Yes you are," Lily smiled, "You're going to come down to the cafeteria and get something to eat with me."

"Really, I'm fine," Elizabeth said, standing up slowly.

"Nonsense," Lily said, "Besides, didn't you hear what I said about these people around here? I have very few friends and I'd like if you would keep me company while I have lunch. I'll tell you everything you need to know about Jason Morgan."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she followed Lily out of the room. How could she pass up an offer like that?

"This may take a few weeks," Sonny said as he hung up the phone and looked at Jason, "Are you prepared to wait that long?"

Jason nodded, "I'm not worried about what we're going to find. If something was off, if there was something we would need to know, I'm sure that Johnny or Francis would have found it by now. I just want to know where she came from, how she got here."

"Maybe it's best that you didn't," Sonny said.

"I promise that I won't go after whoever got her started in this business," Jason said as he stood up from the couch, "Not unless she wants me to."

Sonny shook his head and smiled, "I like what she's doing to you. I missed seeing you get like this over a woman."

"You…" Jason was cut off when his phone started to ring, "We're not finished this."

"Uh huh," Sonny laughed as he poured himself some bourbon and took a small sip.

"Yeah?" Jason asked.

"I'm standing here, stranded outside of General Hospital. I thought we had a date tonight. You coming to get me or what?"

"Elizabeth," Jason sighed and then laughed softly, "Yeah, we do, I'm on my way."


	10. Chapter 10

Elizabeth watched as Jason fiddled with his keys and tried to open the door to his penthouse. She never knew that silence could be so deafening. He had pulled up in front of General Hospital and she had climbed in the car giving him a small smile. For the first time in her life she had to actually deal with small talk, him asking her how things went, her stating fine, him saying good, her responding with okay, then the rest of the ride home was filled with the sound of cars driving past them on the main roads.

She didn't know if she should apologize, she didn't know if she should explain, she wasn't even sure where to begin the conversation she just knew that when she stepped outside and breathed in the fresh winter air she was happy to be alive and she wanted to spend those happy, vital moments with Jason Morgan.

Elizabeth smiled softly when he held open the door and allowed her to enter his home first. She was impressed with the upscale masculine furniture that covered his apartment. It wasn't cluttered like usual female homes and she was sure that his partner, Sonny Corinthos, had more furniture items in his living room than Jason did in his whole house but she enjoyed it, it made him that much more unique.

When she stepped inside and turned towards the left a little, she gasped, shocked and then dropped her purse on the couch before walking towards it and running her fingers along the cherry wood, "You have a pool table."

"Yeah," Jason said slowly as he slid off his leather coat.

"You have a pool table in your living room?" Elizabeth asked, "This is…this is…" she looked up at him smiling, "This is so you. Am I going to find a motorcycle in the kitchen?"

"No, but you will find a lot of beer," he laughed softly as he walked towards her, "A lot of people think it's odd."

"Well I think it's fantastic," she said, "And in case we haven't gone over this yet, my view is the only one that really matters."

"Ah, okay," Jason smiled as he leaned onto the side of the pool table, watching her as she ran her fingers over each ball and then started to fiddle with the blue cubed chalk, "Do you play?"

Elizabeth laughed, "No, never. I was always there watching, you know one of the ornaments?" she smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I always wanted to learn though. It takes some skill to be able to get this little ball," she said picking up a red one and holding it out to him, "And putting it all the way across the table in that hole."

Jason took the ball from her, "It's not that hard and if you want, I can show you."

"Really?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "You'd teach me? Now? Tonight?"

"You said something about a date," he said laughing softly as he placed the ball back into the table and pulled the rack from underneath.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "But I just assumed that once I gave you the okay that…"

Jason cleared his throat, "I'm going to get a beer. Would you like one?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth and then closed it quickly. Beers, how long had she been drinking those? At least two years, at least once a night, if not something stronger. It was her drink; it was the first thing she had in the morning to chase away whatever was remaining from last night. Would she like a beer?

She nibbled on her bottom lip, "You wouldn't happen to have any chocolate milk would you?"

Jason looked at her curiously. In the past week and a half that he had known Elizabeth Webber had never saw her drink anything other than alcohol. He was sure that she had some other fluids during the day when he wasn't around but chocolate milk?

"That was a dumb question," she said as she grabbed a pool stick from the holder on the wall, "I'll just have a beer."

"No," Jason said, "No, I can get you chocolate milk."

"Jason, no, I don't want you going out to…"

Jason leaved over and kissed her softly, gently, quickly, his lips barely brushing against her own, "You grab my beer from the fridge and rack them," he motioned to the balls, "I'll be right back with your chocolate milk."

"Okay," Elizabeth said smiling softly. She placed the triangle rack on the table and adjusted the balls before placing it back underneath where Jason had taken it. She then disappeared into the kitchen to grab Jason's beer and by the time she was back he was coming through the door with a gallon of chocolate milk in his hand.

"I don't know how you did it," Jason said as he pointed it out to her, "But once I told Sonny who the chocolate milk was for he handed me the whole gallon."

Elizabeth laughed softly, "I met his wife today. She's as wonderful as he is."

"Lily, yeah," Jason said and smiled softly, "She's done a lot for Sonny. They're good for each other."

"You going to stand there and hold my milk all night long or you going to get me something to drink it in?" she asked as she held two sticks in her hand, "Already got your beer."

Jason grinned as he took the chocolate milk into the kitchen and pulled out a big glass for Elizabeth, filing it to the brim before he put the milk away in the refrigerator that was mostly dominated by beer and leftovers from Kelly's.

He handed it to her and received a stick in return, her face lighting up when she took a big gulp from the glass.

"Thank you," she said, "I haven't had this in…quite a few years."

"Your Mom use to make it for you."

Elizabeth looked at him surprised, sadness filling her blue eyes, "How did you know?"

"You got this look on your face," Jason said, "My mother gets it she's remembering her son."

"Her son?" Elizabeth asked, "Your brother?"

"No," Jason said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I'll tell you while I teach you to break. This could take all night."

She smiled as she took another sip of his chocolate milk, "Luckily, my boss told me I have all the time in the world."

"Come here," Jason said pulling her closer by the loop hole on her jeans. He handed her a stick, "Lean over slightly," he said, "About ten years ago there was an accident that I was involved in. Here," he said as he came to stand behind her, both of his arms on either side of her, her thigh nestled between his legs as he showed her the correct position, "Just eye the ball," he said quietly as he inhaled the scent of her hair, "A.J. Quartermaine was driving the car, drunk, and we hit a tree and I suffered some brain damage."

Elizabeth felt him hovering behind her and while she heard every word that was coming out of his mouth she was finding it very difficult to concentrate when his body was pressed that tightly against hers. Still, she reminded herself that tonight was a date, so she focused, and listened and followed his fingers as she lined up her shot.

"You don't seem like you have any brain damage," she said quietly as his rough hands guided along hers.

"I see things differently, easy now." he said, "It's kind of hard to see pictures and maps. I really don't feel the cold weather and the biggest thing is that I was no longer the son the Quartermaine's raised," his one hand rested on her hip while his other slid up her arm, feeling her smooth creamy skin, "When you're ready."

"Who was their son?" she asked as she bit her lip, slide the stick back and then took her shot, watching the balls broke apart on the table and the one in the back slide easily into a corner pocket. "I made a shot!" she squealed.

Jason wrapped his arms around her easily when she turned towards him and threw hers around his neck. She was pressed against him, laughing, smiling and it sounded wonderful. He was having a hard time trying to maintain his self control but he wanted tonight to be different, he just wanted to be with her and enjoy her company. Elizabeth Webber was a fun girl to be around.

"I was supposed to be a doctor," he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Elizabeth laughed, "I can understand why your mother would want to remember," she smiled. "This job is far from a doctor."

"Yeah but its me," Jason said, "Jason Quartermaine use to live in a fancy mansion and drive nice cars and date the right kind of girl. I felt like I was suffocating there, being someone that I couldn't be. So one day I just lost it, bought a motorcycle and drove it right into the living room."

"No," she said laughing as she leaned against the table and watched him take a shot, "What happened?"

"My grandfather lost it, I actually enjoyed that part," he said, "I hated leaving my grandmother. She was such a beautiful woman."

Elizabeth frowned when she watched him sink one ball and then another. She looked over at him with a question in her blue eyes, "Was?"

"She passed away recently," Jason said, "I haven't been back to the house since."

She ran her fingers along the polished wood and picked up her glass, taking a long sip from it. She had been there; she had felt that pain, losing the one person who made your whole world just a little bit brighter, who always could pull you back from the dark side. When she lost that person, she lost her whole purpose.

"Your shot," he said quietly and watched her walk towards the other end of the table, eyeing up the white ball.

"I was fourteen when my mother passed away," she said as she leaned over and lined up her shot, growling when the white ball slide across the green felt, missing everything in its way, "I'm horrible at this game."

"No, you just need lots of practice," he said as he took a sip from his beer and eyed her, "The pool table is open twenty four-seven." He loved the way she was smiling at him, "As is my door."

"She was my sanity," Elizabeth said quietly, "She was a mother, she was everything that I needed and then suddenly, when I needed her the most, she was gone," she placed the pool stick down on the table and walked away, "I think I need a break."

"We don't have too…"

"She was found by the pier, in California," she said as she wrapped her arms around her waist and started walking around the room, eyeing the few pictures that Jason did have set up in his home, "The police told my father that she must have tripped, hit her head on a piece of wood and just fell in the murky water. Cause of death, accidental." She smiled when she saw a picture of what had to be Sonny's two children. She ran her fingers over their faces, outlining them, wishing silently that they could keep the innocence that rested in their eyes, "It wasn't accidental."

"Elizabeth," Jason whispered from behind her, his fingers on her shoulder, massaging slightly, "You don't have to talk about it."

"No," Elizabeth said turning towards him, her lips smiling, her eyes shining with tears, "For the first time in a very long time someone actually wants to listen, you want to know Jason and you don't know what that means to me," she placed her hands on his stomach, was tugging at his shirt, "I don't know how long I'm going to be here and I don't even know why we're here, right now, doing this when I thought, I tried to keep things purely physically between us but…" she laughed softly and shook her head, "I want to tell you this and I want to wake up tomorrow in your bed with you by my side. Do you have any idea how much that scares me?"

He nodded, "The last time I brought someone back to my home was over six years ago." He looked away from her while he brought her into his arms, his chin fitting comfortable against her head, "I'm glad that I waited."

Elizabeth sighed as she rested her cheek comfortably against his chest and listened to the soothing sound of his heartbeat, "She was murdered."

Jason didn't say anything; he rubbed his hands up and down her back soothingly, letting her continue to talk, letting her get everything out into the open.

"I want to take it all back," she whispered squeezing her eyes shut, "The day that I came home from school and found my father in the living room, two men standing over him and him saying that he just needed a little more time. They threatened him, told him that what happened to his wife could also happen to his daughter. My father," she bit her lip trying to prevent the tears that were now soaking through Jason's tee shirt, "My father said," she choked out, "That he didn't want me to die because I was such a pretty little thing, that I wouldn't mind working in one of the clubs to pay off his debt. I walked into the room, I yelled that I didn't want to work anywhere; I wanted those people out of our house. He told me to shut up, to go to my room, to do what he said, that my mother was no longer here to baby me, that I had to grow up," she sighed shakily as she sniffled, "And I did Jason, I grew up that next night, when I showed up as a waitress in a strip club and six months later I was up on stage, I was Lizzie Webber." She pushed herself away from him, running her hands over her face and then through her hair, trying to push aside the images, trying not to remember that first time someone reached out and stuck a dollar bill between her thigh and the string on her thongs. It still made her want to vomit, "And you know what the ironic thing is? He sold me out and one year later he joined my mother."

"Elizabeth," he said softly as he reached for her and stopped when she held her hand up, "Who did you work for? Who did this to you?"

She laughed softly and rolled her eyes, wiping away the remaining tears before she walked back to the pool table, "I wish I could tell you. I wish that I could hand out names and let you and Sonny do what you do best, make it all disappear."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows as he tried approaching her again.

"You hear things when you're changing with nine other girls," she said with a shrug of one shoulder, "It doesn't bother me."

"We're not going to get into that now," he said standing next to her, his shoulder gently brushing up against hers, "I might be able to fix this for you."

"You can't, Jason," she said quietly.

"Elizabeth, I can try to…"

"No, you don't get it," Elizabeth said, "I have to do this myself; I have to fix this myself. This is how it started and this is how it's going to end. I'm going to be a good dancer and I'm going to make my own money and I'm going to retire in a sunny place where no man will ever be able to touch me again unless I give the say so. This something that I have to do, part of me hates it and part of me…" she sighed as she closed her eyes, "Part of me enjoys the power and I hate that."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying power," he said quietly as he leaned over and kissed her hair, his arm sliding around her waist, "There's nothing wrong with accepting help."

She turned her face slightly to look at him, her eyes turning a little darker blue, "You have helped, starting with today and then tonight," her fingers were playing with one of the solid colored balls on the table, "Today's test, it was just a precaution. It's something I do, every six months, because of what I had to do, for some people," she shuddered slightly, "The last time I could've been at risk for anything was over six…"

"We were careful," Jason said quietly as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her shoulder, "I wanted to be with you, Elizabeth. I still do."

"Why?" she whispered looking up at him, "What could I possibly offer you, Jason Morgan?"

"You," he said as he leaned down and kissed her, his warm lips pressing full against hers before he took her face in his hands. When he felt her tongue flip against his lips, he pulled back, smiling, "Sometimes that's enough."

Elizabeth reached up and took his face in her hands, bringing it down to hers so she could kiss him, thoroughly, letting her tongue slide over his, slowly, deliciously, until she felt the need to breath then she pulled back, before she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him against her. She felt her backside hit the edge of the pool table and she lifted herself up, feeling Jason's hand coming around her waist.

He pulled back panting, "Elizabeth, I didn't bring you here to…"

"I know," she nodded before she kissed him again, "I know but Jason resisting this," she said as her fingers curled in his tee shirt, damp from her tears, "resisting us would be like trying to resist your next breath."

Jason couldn't agree more, so he slid his fingers into her hair as she kissed him again while he lowered her body onto the pool table.


	11. Chapter 11

_I believe this chapter fits under the Mature rating that I give this fic, its very hard R some could call it worse but I wouldn't. Please feel free to let me know if you are offended and would like it removed._

Elizabeth laughed softly as she tired the push the pool balls away from her. Jason was finding humor in it as well, his lips smiling before they were pressed against hers.

"I don't know why I love this game," he grumbled as he shoved another ball into a pocket.

She was pulling his tee shirt off his body, tossing it towards the other end of the table as he climbed up, one jean covered knee pressed against the green felt. His mouth was pressing warm, wet kisses all over her face before they moved down towards her neck where he was nibbling gently. She massaged his back with her fingers, moaning softly when his warm hands pushed her shirt up her body.

"In case I haven't told you, you're beautiful," he whispered as he pulled the offending cotton off of her. His fingers were in her hair as he was kissing her again, just his lips on her own. It didn't have the sizzle of their tongues clashing with one another but just the same it was wonderfully erotic.

She reached for the belt on his jeans and undid it, listening as she heard clumps on the floor from his motorcycle boots. She was sighing as his fingers pull down the straps to her bra, moaning loudly when his lips were sucking on her nipple over the silk blue material.

"I love you in blue," he mumbled against her breast, "Always wear blue."

She'd wear anything the man desired if he kept causing little electric shocks to run up her body as they were doing now. She knew that she shouldn't allow this to happen; she should be the one pleasuring him, especially after all that he had listened to tonight. She was pushing against his chest, wanting him to be the one with his back against the pool table when he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head with one large hand.

"For once you are going to lie on your back and you are going to enjoy this."

She saw the desire, the passion in his blue eyes and she nearly came right there. Nodding eagerly she watched as he bent down, his hand releasing hers so he could pull her bra lower. Then his mouth feasted upon her.

With his right palm he was molding her breast, bringing it to his mouth so he can lap at the creamy skin before him. His tongue was drawing circles on the unblemished mound before he moved to her rosy nipple, flicking lightly, relishing in the way she moaned his name.

He moved to her other breast, not wanting it to feel neglected as his free hand moved her body, reaching behind it to unhook her bra. He pulled it off and tossed it over the side of the table, his hands quickly coming back to her breasts, massaging the mounds in his hands. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing heavy and with the way that her body was squirming underneath of him Jason could tell that she was enjoying every minute of it. He moved his hands away, slid them back into her hair and laid his body flush against hers.

For him, this was one of the most pleasurable moments, skin pressed up against skin, her taunt nipples rubbing against his own, her smooth creamy complexion against his rough slightly tanned one. Whenever they touched like this he felt it in every fiber of his being.

"Jason…" she moaned softly.

She wasn't use to this, to someone taking care of her. It felt strange, it felt different, it felt wonderful and she never wanted it to stop. Jason was kissing his way down her stomach, dragging his tongue along her body before stopping to play with her belly button that he seemed to love so much. She felt his knee pressed against her body, she was rubbing herself up against it, wanting to ease that delicious ache that was between her thighs. He was undoing her button, pulling down the zipper on her jeans, tugging them down at the waist slightly, revealing a matching pair of blue silk underwear.

She just loved the way he groaned.

Jason ran his hand along her face, then let it skim over her breasts, loving the way she shivered under his touch. It danced across her stomach, tickled her belly button before it slid by her waist, went lower still until it was under the band of her panties and Elizabeth gasped, loudly.

"Jason!"

He easily slid a finger inside of her and then another, moving them slowly back and forth while his thumb found the tiny nub that was causing her so much torture. He leaned up with one knee, giving himself better access as he pulled her jeans and underwear down further. His thumb and forefinger were causing a delicious friction with that tiny numb while his middle finger and ring finger worked their majestic rhythm.

Elizabeth had thought she knew what pleasure was until Jason Morgan walked into her world and defined the meaning of it. She was trying to grasp at the green felt and when that wouldn't do she wound up grabbing a stray ball and squeezing it in her hand. She was sighing with pleasure, crying out at the joy of it all the while Jason was kissing her again, this time letting their tongues dance.

When he pulled back she was panting, trying to grasp some air and she threw the ball over the side of the table when something inside of her burst. Her body arched and she cried out his name over and over again until she felt herself become hoarse.

She wasn't aware that he had pulled a condom out of his pocket, wasn't aware that he moved away from her to discard his pants along with her own, she wasn't aware of him hovering over her until he said her name, until he was moving inside of her, thrusting deeply.

Her body acted instinctively, wrapping itself around him, molding itself to Jason Morgan. Sweat from his forehead was dripping onto her body, mingling with her own as she ran her nails down his back, leaned up and gently nipped on his ear, her panting matching his.

She squeezed herself around him, trying to give him just an ounce of the pleasure he provided her but all too soon she felt it racing towards her, the exquisite taste of ecstasy that she had only felt in his arms. She was trying to hold back, trying to wait for him but somewhere in the haze she heard his voice.

"Just let go, Elizabeth," he croaked, "Just enjoy it."

And she did, she let herself tumble forth, screaming out his name before he followed suit and collapsed on top of her.

Elizabeth clung to him, not wanting to let him go, and grateful that he had confused her tears for sweat.

He had disappeared for a few moments afterwards, normally she would get up and inquire about his whereabouts but she was so exhausted she couldn't even move. He returned with a blanket and wrapped it around her naked body, cradling her in his arms as he carried her upstairs to his dark bedroom.

She felt him lay her upon the mattress as if she were a precious doll and then he climbed in beside her, sighing, his eyes growing heavy, before pulling her up against him and holding her tightly.

She couldn't sleep though, she laid there for a few hours before she had to get up and use the restroom, then she came back and just sat there, staring, as the moonlight slid in through an open curtain and danced upon his wonderfully naked chest and face. He looked so innocent in his sleep, like there was nothing to worry about and she wondered if her face ever took that look upon it.

Reaching over, her fingers gently caressed the spikes that she loved so much, tugging on them gently enough not to disturb him. His breathing was soft, his one hand was under his pillow propping his head up and his other lingered in the space where she just was.

She couldn't resist leaning down to kiss him, felt her heart melt when he sighed contently and couldn't stop the tears as they started to fall from her eyes onto his cheeks.

"I'm falling in love with you," she breathed.

Jason's eyes fluttered open and he was surprised to see Elizabeth's face inches away from his own, tears filling her beautiful blue eyes.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" he whispered, his hand cupping her cheek, pulling her closer.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and buried her head in his neck, "Just…"

Jason felt her other hand slid down his body. He knew where she was headed, knew what she was trying to do, wanting the one thing that she had taken comfort in all these years. He could easily provide her with it, sex with Elizabeth would always come easy, but tonight he wasn't giving her that.

He took her hand in his own, twined their fingers together, and with the other one, pulled her into his arms and simply held her, letting her know with his silence, with his strength, that there was a new way to find comfort.

Elizabeth finished tossing out the rest of the burnt eggs that she had tried unsuccessfully to cook for Jason after she had gotten up. She was hoping to surprise him with breakfast in bed but when the coffee started to burn she had decided to call Johnny at the club, knowing he was changing shifts soon, and asked if he could pick up Kelly's for herself and Jason. She promised him a big tip if he delivered it within the hour.

She let out a small whoop as she heard a knock at the front door, grateful that Jason was still asleep and Johnny was as fast as she thought he would be. She held the sheet up against her and pulled the door open with a smile.

"I am so glad that you…"

"Uncle J!" she heard squealing as two figures darted past her and into the penthouse. She saw them stop and look around confused.

"Where's Uncle J?" the little girl asked.

Elizabeth liked her lips as she tried to pull the sheet higher, "Um…"

"Right here, Adella," Jason smiled as he came down the stairs in a pair of sweatpants.

Elizabeth felt the breath taken away from her. That man could make _anything_ look good.

"Uncle J! Uncle J!" Adella cried as he bent down and picked her up in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek before scooping up the boy beside her, "Can you take us to the park today? It's supposed to be so pretty today."

"Yeah! They got a new swing seat!" the little boy cried.

Elizabeth started to make her way towards the stairs, grabbing the pile of clothes she had placed there after picking them up earlier from where they had been scattered around the pool table. She almost had one foot on the first step.

"Adella! Morgan!" Lily stopped abruptly when she entered Jason's penthouse, "Elizabeth, I apologize. The children aren't use to Jason having company."

"That's o…"

"Did you find them?" Sonny asked coming into the penthouse grinning, "They always run over here in the morning. I told…Elizabeth, hello."

Elizabeth felt her pale skin turn completely red as she tried to kept the sheet up with one hand and bury her face with the other. Before she realized it, Jason was standing beside her, an arm around her shoulder.

"We would like to visit with the kids," Jason said, "You just need to give us a minute to get dressed."

"Foods…" Johnny stopped at the doorway, "Here."

"Excuse me," Elizabeth said, "I'm going upstairs to crawl into a hole."

"I'll just put this in the kitchen," Johnny said.

"Adella, Morgan, we're going back home until your Uncle is ready to see you," Lily said.

"Aw, Mom," Morgan whined as he took the hand of his little sister and followed his parents out of the penthouse, Sonny laughing as he closed the door behind them.

"Oh God, that was horrible."

"Do you always answer the door in a sheet?" Jason laughed as he followed her into his bedroom.

"No!" she said and smacked his arm, "I wasn't expecting two little children to come barreling through it."

"Just who were you expecting?" he asked.

"Johnny! I called him and told him to bring us break…" she bit her lip and stopped.

"You ordered us breakfast?" Jason asked.

Elizabeth looked down at her feet, her toes playing with the hem of the sheet, "I was trying to cook you breakfast but I'm not very good with eggs or coffee. Don't ask about the toast and I owe you a new pan."

She looked up when she felt his warm hands on her bare arms, "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," she said, "I didn't have a rose to go with the platter but I wanted to give you breakfast in bed."

"You did," he grinned, "At about four a.m. this morning."

She scoffed and pushed him away, "I knew Johnny has seen me in less than this so I thought it would be okay to open the door for him and our food. I apologize if I demoralized the kids Uncle J."

"I'm sure they're fine," Jason said as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "Their father is Sonny, they're probably already corrupted."

Elizabeth's laughter was muffled against Jason's chest, "I didn't know what you liked so I think I ordered everything on the breakfast menu. Maybe we can go over and share it with them."

"I think they would like that," Jason smiled as he stepped back, "Let me throw on a shirt and some socks."

"I left my clothes downstairs, again," she said biting her lip, "I'll be right…" She caught the shirt that was handed it to her and lost the sheet when she made a grab for the sweatpants that came flying at her head.

"I'd rather you go in that," Jason said pointing to her naked state, "But I don't think Sonny would approve so you can just throw those on."

"This tie should help, somewhat," she said dryly as she pulled the sweat pants on. They were elastic at the bottom so they wouldn't be falling past her ankles and she was able to pull the string tight enough around her body. They did look huge on her.

"That look is in right? My sister listens to that kind of music. I hate the clothes she wears," he said.

She could've went in just the black shirt she had on, it was long enough to be a dress on her, but she bunched it up and tied it into a knot at the waist. Even though she felt swallowed up in the outfit she liked these clothes more than the ones she had waiting for her downstairs. They were warm and smelled like Jason. It was the nearest to heaven she was ever going to get.

"You want socks too?"

"No," she laughed, "And I'm going to pass up on any slippers you may own."

"I don't own slippers."

"Are you too cool for slippers, Mr. Macho?" she asked and squealed when she tried to scoot out of his way, only to stop and grab the waist of her sweatpants, "Don't do that," she laughed, "You'll make me loose my pants."

Jason grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards him, pressing a kiss to her lips, "I don't know how I'm going to make it through breakfast," he growled, "But you can be sure that you are going to be thoroughly satisfied afterwards."

"That's not possible," she said backing away him, holding onto the sweatpants, "We have to take the kids to the park, Uncle J."

She was laughing as she bounded down the stairs, him right on her heels.


	12. Chapter 12

Jason jogged down the stairs and turned to make his way down the long hallway. He had been looking for Elizabeth for the past twenty minutes. He managed to check the locker room without incident and skirt past Crystal's wandering hands when he was inquiring about her backstage. All the rooms upstairs were unattended so he just hoped that she was in his office.

He shifted the books in his hand and opened the door, the sight before him brought a smile to his face. Elizabeth was curled up in the office chair, her blue velvet robe around her, flipping through a motorcycle magazine. When she heard him enter she looked up, her eyes smiling at him.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey yourself," Jason said stepping into the office and closing the door behind him, "I've been looking all over for you."

"I've been here the whole time," she smiled as he approached her, "I told Johnny I was going to be hanging back here."

"Johnny was a little preoccupied," Jason said as he bent forward to kiss her, groaning when she slid her nails into his hair, depending the kiss.

"That is how you should say hello," Elizabeth whispered when he pulled back.

"It's a damn shame I don't have time to stay and finish this," he growled as he placed the books on the desk in front of her, "I need a favor."

"Where are you going?" she frowned, "You were gone all day," she bit her lip and looked at him worried, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to sound like shrew. I just got very use to having you around."

"And I got use to being around," he said as he leaned against the desk beside her, "I stopped hating this job so much."

"So where are you going?" she asked as she leaned back in the chair.

"Sonny's starting to put me back into my real job," Jason said as he crossed his arms across his chest, "And I'm kind of glad because I hate being cooped up here, however I am glad that I was cooped up with you."

"Uh huh," she said eyeing him warily, "What's the favor?"

He smiled as he lifted the books in front of him, "Payroll is due tomorrow. The checks have already been pre-stamped but I need someone to write them out. I also need the books to be balanced and since you've watched me do it hundreds of times and seem to have some experience…"

"I should get paid more for this," she said pulling the book towards her as Jason leaned down and kissed her hair, "This could take the rest of my night."

"I'm sorry about that," he smiled.

"No you're not," she said slapping his thigh, "You're happy to be keeping me off stage and I'm sure that Sonny had a hand in this."

"I just happened to mention that it looked like you were aware of the foundations on how to run a club," Jason said shrugging innocently.

"There's an 'and' in there somewhere," Elizabeth said as she pushed the books away from her.

"And we're going to need a new manager when I return to my other job full time."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, "Jason you cannot be serious."

"Elizabeth, as much as I hate it, you know this business. You know what it takes to run it, you're good at figuring at numbers quickly and you can keep the girls in line," Jason said, "You're the perfect person for the job."

"Hello? I have no qualifications Jason. Yes, I can add, but as for the girls?" she laughed, "This is why I'm back here. They are avoiding me like the plague because I'm screwing you."

"I thought they didn't…"

"When was the last time I actually slept in my bed?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"That's another thing…"

"No!" she said pushing on his hip, pushing him away from the desk, "I'm doing the books for tonight, everything else is giving me a headache."

"Does that include me?" he asked.

"You are my biggest headache," she said as she unfolded her legs and came to stand in front of him, "When do I get to see you again?"

"Come to my place tonight," he said, his hands naturally finding her hips, "I don't know what time I'll be home but it'd be nice coming home to you."

Elizabeth looked up at him, saw the way he was smiling down at her, like she was beautiful and precious and one of the best things that ever happened to him. She hated it and she knew that by now she should've been long gone. That was why she had to turn him down, she couldn't come to his place tonight, she couldn't stay over again. No, absolutely not.

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done the books," she said and leaned up on her toes to kiss him, "You want me to make you…" she scrunched up her nose, "I'll pick up food at Kelly's."

He laughed, "I really did have to buy a new frying pan."

She growled at him as he moved away from her and headed towards the door, "It's a damn shame you can't take it out of my pay check."

Jason laughed as he said goodbye and pulled the door closed behind him. Elizabeth frowned and plopped back down in his leather chair.

Manager, he wanted her to be manager of the club. There was no way. She hadn't even graduated from high school and she had yet to tell him that. Just because he put a few pieces together and realized she had her hand in it before didn't mean that she wanted to do it again. Being a manager meant she was going on salary, it meant that people would be depending on her, it meant that she was going to have to stick around.

She put her head in her hands and screamed. She should've walked away the moment she laid eyes on him. She knew that he was trouble, those blue eyes and that leather jacket were enough for her to know that once she wrapped herself around him there was no turning back. And she did, she wrapped her body around his and he wrapped himself around her heart.

She hated it, hated the fact that she still had to leave, hated the fact that she simply couldn't, but she knew that one day she would have to. They could come looking for her and Elizabeth refused to put Jason's life at risk.

But still, until they were here, until she could sense them around her she had to stay, she had to enjoy these few moments in her life when she was actually happy. It had been so long since she had laughed or cried tears of joy, she didn't want to relinquish that and she wasn't going to let that bastard who was looking for her take it away.

At least, not for a few more days.

A few more days turned into another week, then two and Elizabeth knew that she would soon be getting the results back from her HIV test. She told herself that was what she was waiting for, once she had those papers in her hand she would skedaddle and make her way down to Florida with the funds she had piling up in the side pocket of her black bag. She was picking them up tomorrow at the hospital, after her lunch date with Lily and now she was backstage, ready to go on, knowing this might be the last time she ever performed for the citizens of Port Charles.

She hated the tears that stabbed at her eyes, hated that she got so attached to a man it made her want to choke, hated that she knew she wasn't leaving, it was impossible. She loved Jason Morgan; she loved him with everything that she had and everything that she was ever going to be. She wanted to be in his life, wake up to him every morning, fall asleep in his arms. She wanted to have children with him like Adella and Morgan, get married on some private beach with the sun disappearing into the ocean. She wanted to tell him everything there ever was to know about Elizabeth Webber and have him accept her, no questions asked.

She laughed as she checked on her make up. That last part was a joke, if Jason ever found out some of the things she still kept hidden he would boot her out of this city so fast she wouldn't even know what hit her. And she was sure he was checking up on her, that was his job; he was Sonny's enforcer, that's what was whispered about in the back. She just kept holding her breath when they walked back to his penthouse every night together, hand in hand, and no new information was brought forth.

She was waiting for the other shoe to fall, right on top of her head.

Sighing she nodded when the music started up and she hurried up the few stairs that led to the stage. She shrugged out of her robe and left it hanging on one of the hooks by the curtain. She then made her entrance, starting one thigh at a time, before pulling aside the velvet material and standing in the spotlight, clad in a purple lace bra and matching purple lingerie skirt with clear heels that light up with purple lights when she moved.

One thing she was very grateful for, she thought as she winked at the customers and started to slide down one bra strap, Sonny had kept Jason so damn busy lately that he hadn't been in the club since the night he asked her to be manager. That made the boys act just a little more wildly and the money flowed a little more quickly.

"What's got the crowd so rowdy tonight?"

Johnny choked on his beer as Jason slapped him on his back. He wasn't expecting Jason to show up tonight, the man had disappeared for two weeks, no one was expecting him tonight, including Elizabeth. Even before he went back to his main role of Sonny's enforcer Jason had kept himself locked up in his office when Elizabeth set foot on stage.

Out of sight, out of mind, at least the visions of her stripping for strangers.

And now she was dancing in her most revealing outfit, her bra already being unhooked and twirling around her fingers before it was tossed into the roaring audience. He felt Jason tense up behind him before the man started growling.

"I thought that…"

"Had I known you were here I would have warned you," Johnny said as he watched Jason wrap a powerful fist around the beer bottle in his hand, "Jason, she didn't…"

Jason stood there, his eyes fixed upon Elizabeth, her creamy breasts bared for the whole world to see and he felt this incredible ache inside of his body, on the upper left side of his chest, he didn't know what it was. He just knew that it was too painful to watch her do this, it was too painful to see her diminish herself in front of all these men, for what, a few dollars, a way to get out quicker? Was it really worth that much to her?

He wanted to step forward, he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and storm right on out of this place, right back to his penthouse where he would keep her forever and let her be whatever she wanted to be. He wanted to rescue her but he knew that he couldn't. Elizabeth asked to do this on her own so he would let her but he had to stay; he had to make sure that she was okay.

He took a sip from his beer bottle which he still had a death grip on.

Elizabeth could feel the blue eyes piecing her naked back before she actually saw him. She had no idea he would be there and she hated it, hated that he was watching her, it made her feel horrible, feel cheap, but she couldn't stop.

She almost did, when she saw him start to move away from the bar, she moved too, further down the stage to another poll, wrapping her leg around it and swinging her body. She watched him stop, compose himself and then take a long drink.

He was letting her be, letting her do it her way and he was still standing there instead of storming back into the office. God she hated that she loved this man so much.

Walking back towards the center of the stage she started to pull down her skirt, smiling seductively as she bent over, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath. Slowly standing back up she started to tug at the sides, pulling it down lower on her hips.

The men were cheering, some were hooting and hollering but one in the front row was becoming a little impatient. He stood up and waved his beer at her, cursing her for being a tease.

"Take it off you slut."

She wanted to, for the sake of shutting the damn fool up but she heard something break and looked up to see Jason hopping over the bar and starting to push his way through the crowd. She could tell the way his eyes were darkening that he was seeing nothing but red.

She squeaked when she realized that the man had his hands on her skirt and pulled it down for her, the purple lace pooling around her heels. He was grinning as he started to tug on her ankle, pulling her forward so he could caress her calve.

"That's it baby, so beautiful, nice and smooth…"

Elizabeth gasped when she saw Jason's bloody fist connect with the man's face and it didn't stop connecting until the man collapsed on the floor, struggling to breathe. Johnny and Francis appeared by his side, pulling the man to his feet and hurling him out the door, slapping him in the head and face along the way.

Jason was beside her on stage, pulling off his shirt and tugging it over her body. He then wrapped his arm around her waist and tried to hurry her off, only to be stopped when she tripped over her heels. He growled and picked her up in his arms, hers instinctively wrapping around his neck as she buried her face against his shoulder.

"Shows are over for the night, stick to the floor," he growled as he pushed his way through the girls and stragglers of waitresses, making his way up the stairs to the rooms where the rest of the strippers lived.

He placed Elizabeth down on her feet in front of him, tried to wipe away a stain of blood that he saw on her cheek, only to make the smear worse. Elizabeth grabbed his hand and cried out, realizing that he had a few tiny cuts all around the inside of it.

"Jason, what the hell…"

"No more, I am sorry Elizabeth but no more," he said, "I get that you have a point, you don't want to be rescued, you want to make it on your own but god damn't do it somewhere else. Be a waitress, find a job at the mall, sell fucking newspapers if you have to."

"Jas…"

"But you are not working down there again do you hear me? I will not have the scum of the earth pawing on you like there are able to take you home and have their way with you. That's not going to happen."

"I'm use to it," she said quietly, "I'm use to them taking me ho…"

"I don't give a fuck what your use to!" he screamed as he slammed his fist against a table, causing a lamp to fall off and shatter against the floor, "You are better than this, Elizabeth, you are better than me and I will not…I will not have you…"

She looked up at him and before he turned away she was able to see his eyes shinning, with tears. In that moment, she broke and she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his bare chest.

There was no way in hell she was leaving now.

"I'm done, I'm through," she said. "I'll do…I'll be manager. If you still want me, I'll do the back office work, Jase."

Jason nodded as he slipped his hand in her hair and then pulled back, wincing as he looked at the blood, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"What happened to you?" she asked and frowned as she took his hand and picked out a few pieces of green colored glass from his palm.

"I…I broke a beer bottle in my hand," he said, "I guess my grip was too tight."

"It might scare the hell out of other women," she said as she walked over to her bed and struggled to pull her bag out from under it, "But your temper is one of your sexiest qualities." She fished around for a large band-aid and came back to him, placing it over his palm, "That will do until we can get you back downstairs to wash it."

He nodded, "I know that you don't want to lose your independence."

"I'm not," Elizabeth said, "And now I get to boss people around, which is going to be so much fun. Does that include Johnny and Francis?" she laughed as she made her way back over to her bag and pulled out a pair of underwear and a fresh pair of jeans. She yanked off her shoes and got dressed, pulling off Jason's tee shirt and throwing on a _Dukes of Hazzard_ one.

"You can yell at them, sure," Jason smiled as she handed him his tee shirt back, "I wasn't in a hurry."

"I was," she said, "We need to get your hand cleaned up and…" she took a deep breath, "I don't want to stay here tonight, not another night. I'd like to stay with you. Then tomorrow, first thing; I'm going to find my own apartment."

Those were words she never thought would exit her mouth. Her own apartment in Port Charles required a lease, which was usually a year, which meant that she had to stick around. There was no question any longer, not when Jason treated her as if she were a goddess he was born to worship. For once in her life, she was going to be happy.

"No, you're not," Jason said with a small laugh as he zipped up her bag and pulled it over his shoulders, "Move in with me."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open.

He laughed again as he shut it with a flick of his finger, "Is that a yes?"

"Jason, that means…"

"That you go to bed with me every night and wake up trying to make coffee in the morning," he said quietly, "It means we'll start to get together on normal hours and that I'll be able to order you food from Kelly's once in a while."

"Jase…"

"Adella and Morgan still break in every once in a while so you have to adjust to that."

She laughed as she threw her arms around him, "Uncle J is one of the sexiest men alive and I…" she pulled back and kissed him, "Its crazy but I'll do it. My whole life is right here," she said pointing to the bag he was holding, "Can we go now? No, no hand first."

"No," Jason said as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it, "My hand will be fine until we go home."

"Home," she smiled softly, "That sounds so nice."

"It does," he said smiling, "Now let's go out the back way so we can avoid the crowd."

She nodded eagerly and held onto his hand tightly as he led her down the back stairs and out the door, to his bike. It was wonderful, being able to go home with Jason Morgan, being able to be in love with someone even if the other person wasn't aware of it. She felt giddy, ridiculous and she wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.

She was laughing as he struggled to tie her large bag to the back of his motorcycle and then handed her the black helmet. They both looked up when they heard a car back fire and Elizabeth realized it was something more when she felt something sear across her head, leaving a trail of warm liquid in its path.

She heard Jason call her name as she dropped the motorcycle helmet and turned towards him. He slammed into her, his body weight throwing her to the hard asphalt ground.

The last thing she remembered as the blackness surrounded her was that they had finally come. They had finally found Lizzie Webber and Jason Morgan would pay the price.


	13. Chapter 13

Elizabeth groaned as she tried to sit up in bed, only to be driven back down by the splitting headache that was pounding through her brain. She reached up to massage her temples and came in contact with the cloth that was wrapped around her head. It was then that she remembered it.

Jason had asked her to move in with him, they were going home together, she was laughing as he handed her his helmet and then the shot rang out. Jason was on top of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, "Jason."

Fighting against the nausea that assaulted her Elizabeth climbed to her feet, her eyes taking in her dark surroundings. She was in Jason's penthouse; in the bedroom that was suppose to be theirs, so she could only assume that he was safe, that he was okay and that he had brought her back here.

Little did he know that he was not safe, things were not going to be okay.

She stood up and turned on the small lamp that rested on the night stand beside the bed. Even the dull glow that filtered from it was bothering her eyes. She was looking for her bag, hoping that Jason had brought it up with him and noticed it by the edge of one of his dressers.

It was empty. He had her already unpacked.

She walked towards it gingerly; a tense discussion that was taking place out in the hallway was starting to seep through the door. She wondered if they already knew, wondered if Jason and Sonny put the pieces together and figured out where she was really from.

Knowing that she couldn't stay, that she wouldn't put Jason in danger she started opening up the drawers looking for her things. Her heart broke when she realized they were placed right next to his. Her color panties next to his black boxers, her socks with crazy characters next to his plain white ones, her washed out denims next to his blue ones.

She hated it, all of it, the people who did this to her, her for doing this to Jason, Jason for being so damn wonderful and Sonny and Lily and the guards. Everything was in shambles because she was a selfish bitch who wanted one chance at happiness, one moment in time to make up for the past few years of hell that men put her through.

She didn't even bother to bat away the tears as she yanked her things out of the drawer and started stuffing them into the bag. As she dug around for her combs and brushes she realized that her entire life savings was in that side pocket of that bag and she made a quick turn to check on it, too quick, as her brain was still focused in another direction.

She tried to grasp the wooden headboard but was unable to and wound up falling to the floor, her backside taking the brunt of it. The commotion caused the bedroom door to fling open and three worried people stepped inside.

"Elizabeth, what's going on?" Jason asked as he slid his hands under her arms and hoisted her up into a standing position.

She wobbled slightly but managed to keep her composure, "Nothing, I'm okay."

"What are you doing?" Sonny asked as his eyes locked on the black bag that was settled in the middle of the bed.

"I need to leave, I can't stay here," she said walking back towards the bed. She felt herself stumble, felt her body wanting to fall again but she wouldn't let it, she was walking out of this penthouse with her back straight and her head held high, even if it killed her.

"Your leaving?" Jason asked quietly.

"I'm leaving," she said, "I never promised to stay and after tonight, I think that's its best that I go."

The silence that surrounded her was deafening. She could hear nothing but the throbbing of her brain against her skull. It was all too painful and she could do nothing more than to zip up her bag and fiddle with the shoulder strap.

It was so easy, saying that she was going to leave, what was difficult was walking out on the first three people in her life to actually give a damn about her.

"Good luck," Jason said and then left, turned around and walked out of his own bedroom leaving a stunned Sonny to stare after him.

"Elizabeth…" Sonny said turning back to her.

"Can you give us a minute, mi amour?" Lily asked as she placed s oft kiss on his cheek, "I need to speak with Elizabeth for a moment."

Sonny nodded and placed a tender kiss on Lily's lips. He felt the need to after seeing two people who he thought were perfect for each other, two people who he thought cared deeply about each other just simply give up without a fight. It nearly tore his heart out.

"Elizabeth," Lily said softly as she came to stand behind the young woman, "I know that you were probably promised that this wouldn't touch the club."

"I wasn't promised anything," Elizabeth said quietly as she squeezed the straps between her hands. She felt her body start to quiver, felt her insides crying. She knew that she had to let go of Jason, she just wished that it was as hard for him as it was for her.

Lily sighed as she placed her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, "I'm sure that Jason never wanted his other life to affect you but it…"

The other life.

It didn't register until Lily had said it. Elizabeth didn't think about Jason's other life, his Mafia life, affecting her. She just assumed that they had found her, that they had shot at her and were planning on kidnapping her, bringing her back kicking and screaming if they must. She never imagined that someone would be shooting at Jason and not her.

"His life," she said quietly.

"Yes," Lily said, "And I know that I'm asking a lot of you to stand by Jason, to hold yourself susceptible to this kind of violence, but please, you have to give him a chance, at least to explain himself. He would never want you intentionally hurt."

"I know that," Elizabeth said turning towards her, "I know that Jason would never put me in the line of fire. He must not have been expecting this."

"Neither of them were," Lily said and forced a smile, "But it was handled, Sonny's efficient that way."

"You sound like you've been a part of this for a very long time," Elizabeth said.

"My entire life," Lily said, "My father use to do what Sonny does. I was raised in this world so it's easy for me to adjust," she smiled, "I'm not saying I still don't wait up at night or that I don't yell sometimes when I think it's just all too much but I trust Sonny to take the best care of me and our children. I know that Jason won't do any less for you."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. She was a fool. She let that man walk out of the room thinking that he was the cause of all of this. Opening her eyes back up she was smiling at Lily.

"Is it possible for me and Jason to be alone?" she asked, "I know that tonight has been crazy and," she touched her head, "I know that you did this and I thank you but…"

Lily hugged Elizabeth tightly to her, "You need some privacy to talk to him, I understand. Are you coming down with me?"

Elizabeth started to shake her head but then thought better of it, "No, I'm going to unpack."

Jason sat there, with his head in his hands and hadn't moved since he had gotten down there twenty minutes ago. Elizabeth wanted to leave him because of the crazy life that he led.

Déjà vu.

It hurt, it was a bitch and he hated that he was reliving it all over again. Robin had left him all those years ago for the same reason. She couldn't handle his life; she couldn't understand why the garage just wasn't enough for him. She wanted to change him and when she realized that she couldn't she walked away, leaving him broken hearted and trying to figure out how to move on.

He never did until a tiny little woman blew in the door with the frigid snow.

Elizabeth Webber, a beautiful woman who couldn't do anything else but break his heart.

He heard her moving around upstairs, after Lily and Sonny excused themselves but that had stopped ten minutes ago and he wondered what she was doing. Lily didn't give any other explanation besides the fact that they needed to talk. He wasn't sure if she was preparing for a grand exit or just enjoying how he was torturing himself down here, wondering what business he had trying to fix her problems and allowing her into this world.

He hated himself. He let her get shot. He should've warned her, should've let her know. The rumors in the back weren't enough, a girl who had struggled to get out of the world she was in was surely too naïve to understand what the full meaning of 'enforcer' was. He was a murderer, he killed for a living and he put her at risk by being with her.

It would have been different if he told her, it would've been okay if he gave her the knowledge upfront and she still walked. That would've been on her, she would've made the decision but he didn't say a word, he didn't expect it to touch her and so he didn't blame her for walking.

And yet knowing he was causing her pain, knowing that he was the reason she had a bullet graze the side of her head, knowing that being with him would cause her danger every day for the rest of her life, Jason still didn't want her to leave. He wanted to be cuddle up with her on the couch, watch a corny movie and eat burnt popcorn straight from the bag.

God he was a bastard.

"Jason."

He looked up, his eyes anguished, his face damp from tears he didn't know he had shed. She was there, standing before him, looking like an angel that was sent from the heavens to rescue his damaged soul.

In one breath he thanked God for sending her to him and in the next cursed him for taking her away.

Elizabeth felt her body slowly sitting down next to his. She reached out and touched his hair, her fingers brushing up against the spikes she loved so much. He was perfect, not a scratch on him and that made her sigh with relief, but his eyes, they were full of pain and that made her heart ache.

"I'm so glad that you're alright," she whispered, "And I'm so sorry that I was going to leave," she licked her lips, "If you still want me, I unpacked my bags, but if not…"

He pulled her face towards him and kissed her, pressing his warm lips up against her full pink ones. He could feel her sliding her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp lightly before he pulled back panting.

What he saw in her eyes amazed him; it looked like admiration.

"You saved my life."

"I risked your life," he said quietly, his palm still resting against her cheek, "I never told you that I…"

"Who would ever thought we would wind up together?" she said with a small laugh, "I wanted nothing more to do with you than fuck you for your money and then get out of town before you realized my game," she slid her finger along his jaw, "I didn't want you asking questions Jason, I didn't want you to become a part of my life and I don't want you to think that it would be easy for me to walk away because it wasn't, it wouldn't be. I can't let you go, not when I just found you, not when you are the only man that has ever been able too…" she bit her lip as tears fell from her eyes onto his hand and wrist, "I'm sorry."

"Do you know what I do?" he whispered, "I need you to be fully aware that what I do could…"

"I am, I am," she whispered, "And I'm sorry that I got frightened but I'm not frightened of you and I know that you would do anything to protect me. I saw that tonight, I have a bruise on my side."

His face looked pained, "Elizabeth…"

"Rather on my side than be shot in the heart," she said as she brought her other hand up to his face, "You are not going to believe me when I say that I don't care what you do, I see it in your eyes, but I know what your lifestyle is Jason and I'm not going to leave because of it."

"Elizabeth…"

"You're an enforcer," she whispered as she held his face in her hands, "I can deal with that."

"Elizabeth, that's not…"

"Do you want me to say it, Jason?" she asked quietly, "I know that you kill people for a living," she waited and watched his eyes, watched them narrow, watched them darken, watched them try and shut her out, "Look at me, I'm still here, I'm still right beside you and I'm not going anywhere. Granted I'd love to know what you put on your taxes as occupation."

"Warehouse owner," he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers, "This happened before, one woman said it was okay, she said she could handle it and then she woke up one morning, her eyes had changed…"

"I believe there is someone worse than a murderer," she said quietly as she closed her eyes and reveled in this closeness, "I believe that when you tell someone that you are going to take care of them and then ask them," she laughed bitterly, "Require them to sleep with your business associates to garner some business deals and pay off some debt, that to me Jason is someone who is worse than a killer."

She felt his fingers tangle in her hair, twist tightly as he closed his eyes and just imagined what it was like to be there, to have to do that. She sighed when she felt his fingers relax and then run down her cheek.

"Have you ever killed someone for no reason, simply because you were bored and had nothing better to do?"

Jason's eyes blinked open, "No, never."

"Than unless you wake up being the man that I just described, nothing is going to change between us Jason, my eyes are never going to change when I look at you," she smiled, "That is unless you have me in a compromising position and I get all hot and bothered."

"Well," he said as his hand slipped from her face down to her waist, "I'm not opposed to that."

She laughed as she felt herself being lowered to the back of the couch, "I didn't think you would be."

"Yeah," Jason said into his cell phone as he continued to open the closet doors in his office at the Coffee Warehouse.

"_It's me, I just wanted to see how things were going,_" Sonny said as he adjusted himself on the couch, his one arm around his wife and daughter, the other around his son.

"Fine, paperwork is all in order, found out that guy, Dumal, was working alone," Jason said, "No one is going to miss him."

"_Good_," Sonny said, "_I've been instructed by my wife that you are to go home, now. Apparently I've been working you too hard._"

"Sonny that isn't…Lily told you that?" he sighed into the phone as he gave up his futile search, "The penthouse isn't on fire is it?"

"_I heard that! And I'm telling Elizabeth that you said that!_" Lily shouted.

Jason laughed, "I'm leaving now. Hey, I didn't leave my leather jacket there this morning by any chance did I? I can't seem to find it."

"_Nope,_" Sonny smiled into the phone, "_I'll hear from you sometime late tomorrow morning._"

"Sonny, I'll be…" Jason pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it when he heard the dial tone. He wondered what Elizabeth was up to now.

Deciding to ignore his search for his coat he headed out of the warehouse and towards home, to the woman that he loved.

Damn shame he didn't tell her that yet.


	14. Chapter 14

_I believe this chapter fits under the Mature rating that I give this fic, its very hard R some could call it worse but I wouldn't. Please feel free to let me know if you are offended and would like it removed._

Jason sighed as he slid his key into the lock and opened his door. He was still annoyed that he couldn't find his coat. He stopped by the club one the way home and checked but it wasn't in the back office. He was hoping that it was here; maybe he misplaced it in his haste to seduce his girlfriend at least four times a day.

He stopped just inside the penthouse, surprised by the atmosphere that surrounded him. There were candles everywhere, on all the tables and even lined up along the edges of the pool table. The lights were dimmed and there was some sort of jazz music playing through his speaker system. There, placed in the middle of the coffee table, with motorcycle magazines on either side of it, was a cold beer, the sweat still dripping from the bottle.

He smiled, oh yeah; he was in love with her.

"Jason?" he heard from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, what's going on, Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Are the candles still lit?" she asked anxiety in her voice.

"They're still lit," he smiled.

"Good, go sit on the couch!" she shouted back, "Your beers still cold right?"

Jason walked over to the couch and kicked off his boots, grabbing the beer and making himself more comfortable, "Yep, the beer's still cold."

"Ok, close your eyes."

"Elizabeth…"

"I am not coming down until your eyes are closed and if they are opened I am running back upstairs and I won't speak to you every again!"

He laughed but did as he was told, closing his eyes and sighing contently. Whatever she had planned he knew it was good and that she at least wasn't attempting to cook again. They had yet to replace another pan that she had burnt.

Elizabeth tip toed down the stairs, peeking her head around the corner and making sure that his eyes were really closed. She smiled as she walked towards the couch, her fingers skimming through his hair along the way.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"What are you up to?" he asked as he felt her hovering over him, then a warm kiss was placed on his cheek.

"I know you said you forgave me a couple weeks ago," she said quietly as she placed one dainty foot up on the coffee table and then another, "But this is my way of saying I'm sorry for almost giving up on the best thing in my life," she tugged on the top she was wearing and smiled seductively, "Open."

Jason opened his eyes slowly and saw Elizabeth, standing on top of the coffee table, her feet bare, both her toe and finger nails painted black, her body covered in nothing but his leather jacket.

"You stole my coat," he tried to say but it came out in a croak that caused her to giggle.

"I borrowed it for the show," she winked.

"What show?" he asked starting to get up only to have her foot placed on his shoulder, pushing him back down.

"The private show you are getting right now," she whispered, "After all, I only wear leather for you."

Then she started to move, her hips flowing with the music and her eyelids fluttered downward, allowing him only to see glimpses of the blue orbs. She turned on the table, shook her beautifully curved backside in his face and let the jacket slip off of one creamy shoulder and then another.

She was humming when she turned back around to face him, the coat held closed with her tiny hands as her body slithered its way down to the coffee table and then right back up again. One hand let go of the jacket, allowing him a glimpse of her creamy skin, the other was sliding in her hair, her fingers tangling the chestnut curls as her face turned into one of the most erotic looks he had ever seen.

"Elizabeth…" he groaned from the couch. He felt his hands curl up into fists as he tried to keep them to himself.

"Every time I try on leather, every time I put it on, even my boots, I think of you," she whispered as she presented him with her back again, this time allowing the jacket to fall completely off of her shoulders, baring her naked back, "And when I think of you Jason, I just want to…" she moaned slightly as he watched her hand slid from her hair, down her shoulder, down the front of her body and he closed his eyes shuddering, only imaging what she was doing to herself.

"I can't help myself," she whispered as she turned towards him again, her hands no longer holding the jacket together and she was visible, nearly every part of her; the swells of her breasts, the nipples brushing against the leather material, the dark curls at the junction of her thighs.

"You have no idea what you do to a lady," she breathed as she slid her hand down the front of her body, grazing the beautiful curls.

"I'm getting the idea," he growled.

"And you know the other night, when you rushed out of here so fast without this lovely leather coat," she murmured as she ran her fingers over it, "I just couldn't help but put it on Jas and curl up on that couch your sitting on and think about what we would do when you got home," she sighed as one hand slid beneath the leather coat and caressed her breast, "And I just couldn't…mmm, Jas."

Jason moaned and closed his eyes as he placed his hand over the straining bulge in his jeans. He needed some type of relief.

"I thought about doing this," she whispered as her other hand slid under the jacket, caressing her other breast, "I thought about stripping for you, in all this leather, watching you get turned on, enjoying the pleasure that I was going to be providing you but then…then I realized that I just didn't want to take it off. Oh," she moaned softly as she pinched her own nipple, "Call me crazy but have you ever imagined what it would be like to fuck me in this jacket?" she laughed devilishly when she saw him struggle to open his eyes, saw his hand running over his denim covered length, "Cause I have and it got me off three times."

His eyes narrowed and she saw the flame flare up, she knew that this game was over, they were no longer playing and she backed away, yelping when she fell off of the coffee table and landed on her naked backside. She only had the chance prop herself up on her elbows before he was beside her, kissing her, pulling her tongue into his mouth and clashing with it.

She moaned as she slid her fingers into his hair, trying to pull him closer, whimpering when he pulled back. She was slightly appeased when he pulled his shirt off.

"Do you want to hear what you do to me?" he whispered as he wrapped his fingers in her hair, "You want to hear what I did the very first night that I met you?"

She looked up at him, her eyes hazy and she licked her lips. She wanted to know. She wanted to hear that she wasn't the only person that wasn't able to sleep that night, that she wasn't the only one with an ache between her thighs that kept her tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning.

"I was tempted to go out and find someone to fuck," he whispered as slid his hands down her thighs and parted them, licking his lips when he saw how wet she was, "But then I realized that not just anyone would do, so I…" he slid his denim clad knee between her thigh and rubbed it up against her, grinning when he heard her cry out, knowing that he found that tiny little pleasure button of hers, "I came home, and I got into the shower Elizabeth," he breathed as he leaned down and pressed damp hot kisses along the side of her neck and ear, "I turned on the ice cold water and I stepped under it and I just thought about fucking you over and over and over…"

Elizabeth was going mad. He was rubbing his knee against her in the same rhythm as he was repeating those words, over and over, and she could envision him, standing in the shower, running his hand up and down his length.

"I know your imaging it, me standing there, thinking of you, trying to hold onto the shower wall with one hand, the other one just running up and down," he breathed before he pressed his lips against hers. He could feel her soaking through his thick denim pants, "And I was imaging too Elizabeth, I was imaging taking you in every which way. Up against the shower wall, on the bathroom floor, in my bed, up on that damn stage you worked on. I wanted you so bad."

"Jason," she panted as she dug her nails into his back.

"It was like, I could almost taste you."

"Jason," she moaned as she bucked against him, harder, faster.

"And I just couldn't stop Elizabeth; I was in the shower for maybe…"

"Jas…" her head was against the carpet, flailing from side to side.

"A full hour, Elizabeth," he breathed as her nails moved from his back to his arm, leaving bright red scratches in their wake, "Just dreaming about fucking you, my sweet Elizabeth."

She screamed his name and her body started to shake, trembling in his arms and writhing against the floor. She was gasping for breath when the tremors stopped running through her body. Her eyes fluttered open to see a smirk on his face.

"Wicked bastard."

"You started it," he whispered as he leaned into kiss her but she shoved him hard, causing him to stumble on to his side. She was on him then, pushing him onto his back and placing kisses all along his bare chest.

He laughed softly as he circled his arms around her naked waist while she moved lower on his body and then lower still causing him to look down at her, "Elizabeth what are you…"

She smiled at him, wickedly as her tongue ran over the jutted out denim material. He had thought that he couldn't get any harder, he was wrong. He moaned and let his head fall back against the floor, sighing with relief when she pulled the button open. He groaned when he realized she was stopping there.

"What…" he asked, his head looking down at her again.

"I just wanted you to see," she whispered as she took the zipper in her teeth and started to tug it, ever so slowly, down his length, "How much fun I'm having."

"You…" he growled but then groaned when she slid her tiny hands inside the flap of his jeans and started to massage him through the cotton material of his boxers.

"My turn," she whispered, "My turn to tell you about that first night, when I was stuck in a room with three other girls and couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"You already had your turn," he said through gritted teeth when she pulled his jeans down, "That is not fair."

"This is my apology," she tsked as she pulled a condom out of his pocket and placed it beside his hand, "For later."

"Elizabeth…"

"I woke up sweating," she whispered as she flicked her tongue against him, against the cotton material that covered his straining manhood, "I was dreaming about you, Jason, imagining what it would be like to have you thrusting inside of me."

He moaned as he placed his hands over his face. God this was sweet torture.

"And I pictured myself dancing for you; I pictured the way your eyes would roam over my body, appreciating it like no other man."

"I do, fuck I do…" he moaned as she started to run her hands up and down his length, the cotton material scraping against his skin.

"Then I pictured you unable to stand it," she whispered as her nails danced up his thigh and slid into the leg opening of his boxers, "I pictured you just grabbing me around the waist and pulling me up against you…"

"Sweet mother of…" he moaned loudly when her fingers encountered his balls and squeezed them first one, then the other, before her thumb started to massage them.

"And you just ripped your jeans open and you just tore my panties," she sighed as pressed a kiss to his tip, "Literally in two," she licked her lips as her fingers withdraw from his boxers, "And then you slammed into me Jason and you were pounding against me," her hand went back to running up and down his length, fast, in motion with her story, her tumbling of the words, just as he did, "Harder and harder and harder until everything just…"

He groaned, ready to cry out, ready to scream, ready to explode into her tiny hands when she stopped and then sat on her knees, grinning at him.

"Then I woke up and realized I couldn't do a damn thing about it," she whispered, "Its horrible living with other people."

"You bitch," he cursed as he grabbed the condom and knocked her to the floor. She was laughing as he was pressing kisses all over her face, "You're gonna get it."

"I hope so," she murmured as she took the condom from him and ripped it open, pulling out the yellow rubber and reaching for him, "Take off the boxers," she whispered.

He complied and she wrapped her hand around him, letting him feel her skin on his. He sighed against her, his body shuddering against hers, "Elizabeth…" he breathed.

"I know," she whispered, "No more torture."

With her two tiny hands she slid the condom on him and then their eyes met, both filled with passion, both filled with longing, both filled with love.

"Make me yours," she breathed as she wrapped her one leg around his.

Jason held himself above her, his hands on either side of her head as he thrust inside of her. She moaned beneath him. She was pulling him closer as she thrust against him, wanting his skin against her own.

He panted above her as he continued to move against her, deeper, harder, closer to the release they were both aching for. He had to kiss her, he leaned down and let his tongue dance with hers, moaned when she pulled on his lip with those beautiful teeth of hers.

Elizabeth shuddered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her cheek against his chest. Her own breathing sounded like it was bouncing off the walls around them, the jazz music being drowned out.

"Jason…" she panted as her body rocked against his. "…with me…"

He somehow heard her through the haze and nodded, leaning down, pressing his lips against her own when with one last thrust they both tumbled towards the edge together.

She sighed when he collapsed beside her, sitting up quickly and peeling the leather jacket off of her body.

"What are you doing?" he asked looking up at her.

"I'm going to ruin it," she said, "It's going to get all sweaty. We're going to have to have it dry cleaned."

"No," Jason said pulling her back down beside him, pulling her into his arms, her head resting comfortable against his chest, "We're going to have it framed."

She laughed softly, "I was supposed to be saying sorry."

"Elizabeth, feel free to apologize to me anytime you want."


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth was beaming. It was just another moment in her life when she wanted to pinch herself for being so happy. In her hand were two sealed envelopes revealing the results of not only her HIV test but Jason's as well.

Lily handed them to her and explained that the morning after Elizabeth had blood drawn Jason came in and asked to have it done as well. He said that he wanted it to be a surprise, he wanted Elizabeth to feel as safe around him as he knew he was going to feel around her.

After hearing that Elizabeth grabbed the envelopes, ran to the bathroom and cried buckets. She even left a tear stain or two on the packages. She loved this man, absolutely loved him and she was going to tell him that, right after she handed him the envelope. She was going to tell him that she loved him no matter what the results, not matter what he did for a living and no matter what might come in the future.

She was crazy in love with him and not a damn thing was going to change that.

Stepping off of the elevator Elizabeth was prepared to give a greeting to Francis only to be surprised when she noticed the bodyguard wasn't there. Turning around she also took note that Sonny's doorway was empty.

Shrugging and digging her keys out of her purse she figured that Sonny and Jason might not be back from their morning meeting yet. Maybe she would go in and order Kelly's for the both of them. Then she might even sign herself up for a cooking class or two.

Pushing the doorway open she was pleasantly surprised to find Jason sitting on the couch but her smile faded when she noticed his head was resting in his hands, his body was tense and there before him on the coffee table was a large, thick, letter sized package.

Dropping both her keys and the envelopes in her hand Elizabeth knew. He had run a search on her, he investigated her background and he knew everything that there was to know.

She shut the door behind her and started towards him, "Jason…"

He looked up at her and she had to stop, had to gasp at the look that was shining in his blue eyes; pure hatred.

"When I met Robin, wow I think it was almost ten years ago, I didn't know what was happening to me, I didn't know what this feeling was inside of me, this thing in my stomach that just fluttered every time she was around, this beating that my heart started to do, this ache that was there when she was gone. I didn't know what it was, she had to explain it to me, she had to tell me that it was love and after that it was wonderful and it felt wonderful that I loved her that I wanted to be with her all the time that she was the most important person in my life and then suddenly she walked away and that feeling turned into nothing, it just wasn't there anymore and I felt so empty, emptier than when I woke up that morning in the hospital and knew nothing, knew nobody."

She stood there, still, pale, listening to him talk about his first love, jumping when his fist came down hard on the table next to the envelope that revealed her whole life.

"And I swore to myself that I wasn't going back there," he seethed, "I told myself that I wasn't going to deal with that once again. Because when I woke up and I didn't know who the hell I was or what the hell I was going to do, that was the most fucked up feeling in the entire world and I wanted no parts of it, not again and look what happened to me, look where it led me," he laughed bitterly, "to Lizzie fucking Webber."

He moved, he stood up and she noticed for the first time that there was a bottle on the table beside the couch, it was nearly empty and Jason was wobbling slightly. He started to walk towards her but he stopped, letting out an animalistic growl and turned away, gripping his hair with his fingers.

"I can't believe this," he said, "I'm a fool and yet I work for Sonny Corinthos. I'm the man he hired to protect him, to do what needs to be done, to go out everyday and…"

"You aren't a fool," she said quietly as she took one more step further into the penthouse, "Jason…"

"Are you under the impression that I'm going to believe a god damn word you are going to say?" he asked as he walked towards her, quickly.

Elizabeth felt herself stumbling back in the boots she was wearing, felt her body being pressed against the door she had opened only a few minutes ago. She winced when he slammed his palm against it, so close to her face.

"You are a fucking liar," he said, the liquor evident on his breath, "And I should have known that you were too damn pretty to be telling the truth."

The tears came, hot and damp, down her cheeks before she could prevent them. His fingers were there, wiping them away roughly before he started cursing at himself again, turning away from her in disgust and making his way back to the couch, back to the table that held the liquor.

He wasn't a drinker, she knew that by being around him as much as she was. He was a beer man, one with a meal and an occasional when he was out but hard liquor wasn't his forte. It pained her, caused her heart to lurch when she watched him finish off the bottle that he held in his hands. It looked so much like the bourbon she knew Sonny drank.

She closed her eyes and sighed, Sonny and Lily, they probably knew as well.

He was laughing, laughing loudly, hard and at her. She saw him pointing, staring when she opened her eyes back up.

"I didn't tell your friend," he spit out, "yet." He walked over to his fireplace, his free hand curving around a frame that held a picture of Sonny and his family, "I'm too disgusted with myself for listening to your lies, for believing what you had to say."

She sighed as she pushed herself away from the door, moving towards him again, "Jason…"

"Are you going to try and say something to make me feel better?" he laughed, "I'd love to hear it, I'd love to hear how someone like you," he said, the horror clear in his voice, "Got over on someone like me."

She took another step back, feeling as if she had been slapped in the face. Granted she wasn't an expert in this business but she didn't think she was an idiot either and she had learned enough to know how to get from one place to the other. But that wasn't the point, she had hurt Jason, she lied to the man that she loved and she needed to face up to that, apologize for it and hope that possibly he could forgive her.

Seeing the way that his eyes were still blazing at her, hatred still present, she didn't think that was at all possible.

"What I provided you with…"

"Oh it was good," he said walking back over the table and placing the empty bottle on it, "Oh I admit it, you were good, it was authentic and when Johnny called the hospital he got the verification he needed. It wasn't until I called the strip club…"

The strip club.

Elizabeth had to grab onto the back of the couch for support. It sounded like he really knew everything.

"That's when I spoke to our connection and…" he picked up the package in front of him and turned it upside down, dumping all the paperwork, files, pictures and everything he could find on Elizabeth Webber, "Sadly this isn't all of it. Johnny said there was another piece being sent overnight and I should have it in my hands by nine a.m. tomorrow," he sneered at her, "Call me crazy but I couldn't wait."

Elizabeth closed her eyes again, trying to block out the images scattered in front of her, pictures of her first time dancing, pictures of her first time going completely nude, pictures of her with her mother, pictures of her with her first boyfriend, so many pictures, so many lies.

"Look at me."

She couldn't, it was impossible, the hate was too much.

"Look at me!"

She heard the glass shatter and blinked her eyes open to see Jason's chest heaving, the remains of the liquor bottle now surrounded the wooden floor by the fireplace, some liquid dripping down its beautiful surface.

He turned to her again and this time she didn't see the anger, this time she saw the pain.

"Was this a joke to you?"

"No, I…"

"Is there some bet you have going on with someone back in Connecticut?" he asked, "See what poor sucker you can get over on."

"Jason, I told you that I didn't…"

"You didn't plan on hanging around," he smirked, "That's right, that's why you put us all at risk, put us all in danger, Elizabeth."

She looked away, he knew everything, he knew it all.

"That's why you didn't tell me you were sixteen."

"Jason…" the word came out in the midst of tears.

"You heard from me, from everyone, you knew what he had riding on this club," Jason said, "You knew that if someone slipped up it would all be over and that was just what the government needed. Sonny got away with it once, it wouldn't have happened again and knowing that you still continued to work there, you still let me believe..."

"I didn't expect to…"

"I don't care what the fuck you expected," Jason said walking towards her, "The minute you knew you were going to stay in town you should've…"

"Told you? Like I'm telling you now? You aren't even letting me explain the…"

"Explain it!" he screamed, "Explain how it was okay to convince me that you were eighteen, explain how it was okay for you to seduce me knowing full well that I could go to jail for it, explain to me how it was alright for you to be living here, a minor, under the roof of a man who is…"

"I don't care how old you are!" she screamed, "I don't care about any of that Jason, I just care…"

"Right! That's right, see? You don't give shit about anyone but yourself, Elizabeth," he said, "That's what this has all been about. You told me you were only here for two weeks, you wanted money for sex and you weren't concerned about what would've happened to Sonny and Lily if some cop found out you were underage, you weren't concerned about me being thrown in jail for statutory rape, you weren't concerned about the fall out, you were concerned about getting paid and getting what was coming to you…"

"And what if I was?" she said, "You know everything about me, I have every right to be looking out for…"

"Don't go there," he said holding his hand up, "Don't you try and justify the danger that you brought upon me and my friends, my family. Things would've been different Elizabeth if you would've been adult enough to come to me…"

"And listen to you scream?" she asked, "Listen to you tell me that I'm a bitch and that I need to pack my things and go? If I thought for one second that your reaction wasn't going to be like this…"

"You're sixteen!" Jason yelled, "I have a sister your age and she's in high school not in some strip club doing…"

"I don't want to be in some strip club!" she screamed back at him, her hands slapping against his chest, pushing him backwards, "I didn't want to be here Jason but I was forced into this life and…"

"You weren't forced into my club," Jason said, "And the minute you found out who I was should've had you turning and running. Did you think I wouldn't check into your background? Did you think that I was stupid enough to…"

"No," she laughed, "No I knew that a part of you didn't trust me. I knew that eventually this would come back to haunt me."

"And you still continued to do it," he said quietly, "You still continued to go on with this charade and let us feel sorry for you, feel bad that you were forced into stripping at the age of fifteen, that you had to show off your tits…"

"Stop it, just stop!" she yelled putting her hands over her ears, "You weren't there, you don't know…"

"I know what you did the moment you stepped foot into Port Charles," he said, "You lied and you bullshitted your way into my life…"

"Stop." she growled as she pushed at him again but this time he was ready for her, he grabbed her wrists and pushed back, their bodies slamming against the door.

"You want to play like an adult, Elizabeth?" he asked, "You want to play with fire? Let's play with fire."

"No," she said as he reached for her shirt, pulling it open, buttons flying everywhere, her breasts heaving.

"I hate what you did, I hate what you made me become," he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her, taking her face in his hand and holding her against him.

She moaned as her hands twisted in his shirt, she didn't want to give in to him, she didn't want things to end like this and she knew, felt, that this was how it was going to end.

Still, like she had told him before, denying this would be like denying her next breath.

That was why she didn't protest when she felt the button give way on her jeans, that was why she pulled him closer, her mouth fusing with his, that was why her hand skimmed down his body and tugged on his zipper.

"And you brought the danger, someone is after you, that is why you wanted to leave, that is why you were so quick to get out of my bed when you were shot," he was panting, as he pressed himself against her, needing to feel her, "I don't know who the fuck it is Elizabeth and I don't fucking care."

"I don't either," she said glaring at him, her nails scraping painfully down his cheek, "I don't care what you think or what you believe anymore, Jason. I don't care."

She did, he did, they both did, all too much and neither of them were thinking when he slammed into her, neither of them were contemplating what tomorrow would bring as her body was being pounded against the door.

Tears were being shed on both sides, anguish and anger mixed as their bodies mated, thrusting, rubbing, touching one another, scraping, pulling, nipping, anything to get some type of release, release from the hatred, release from the love.

"I never meant to…" she gasped as she squeezed herself around him, felt him starting to shake underneath her fingertips.

"But you knew, you fucking new," he slammed his fist into the wall as he buried his face in her neck, buried his body inside of hers. All too soon the climax was upon them, all too soon they were crumpled on the floor, wrapped around one another, pulling away too quickly.

She was holding her top together, he was standing over her buttoning his jeans. She looked away, he did as well until their breathing was normal, until their faces were composed.

"I want you out of the penthouse by the time I return," he said reaching for the leather jacket that was hung on the back of his desk chair. He thought twice and pulled back, remembering the time that she wore that, the time when she danced for him.

He watched her move away from the door, struggle to her feet and he moved past her, stepping over her keys and the envelopes she dropped when she had arrived.

"I want you out of town by tonight," he said before he pulled open the door, ready to walk out, ready to not look back, but he couldn't resist one more look, one more glance at that painfully beautiful face, "Sixteen Elizabeth."

She laughed, sadly, humorlessly, bitterly, "I'm seventeen today."

"Happy birthday," he whispered, "Lizzie."

He slammed the door to his penthouse and his heart.


	16. Chapter 16

Elizabeth took one last look around the penthouse, making sure that anything she had brought with her was gone. The hefty black bag that rested on her shoulder seemed somehow heavier than when she had first arrive in Port Charles. There was nothing extra in the bag, the new clothes that she had purchased to continue her life, her charade as a stripper now lay shredded and burned in the bottom of Jason's fireplace. There were no mementos to keep, no souvenirs to take, and yet the weight of the bag was still a burden but it wasn't as heavy as the weight she carried on her shoulders.

She loved him, deeply, fully, more than she had ever thought possible and she watched him disintegrate in front of her eyes, the love that she thought he felt for her was now turned into a burning hatred mixed with disgust.

She had taken the one good thing that God had handed her and destroyed it until there was nothing left but her lies.

Elizabeth wanted nothing more to do than apologize for her actions. She wanted nothing more to do than get down on her knees and beg for Jason's forgiveness, beg for just one more chance to be with him. The truth was she didn't know how to be without him, he made her happy, he made her want to wake up and face another day, made her want to be so much more than what she was. He made her fall in love with him with that first steamy glance.

That was the reason she couldn't apologize, because she loved him, would always love him. She knew that she brought a danger to Jason and she knew that being underage wasn't helping the situation. He was much older than she and while it didn't mean a damn thing to her it would mean something to the authorities and her being with Jason meant something to the ones that were chasing her.

So she adjusted the strap on her shoulder and stared down at the two packages that lay before her, the results of both her and Jason's HIV test. She picked hers up, tearing it open, and pulling the papers out, her eyes skimming it quickly.

Fighting back tears she laid it back down, her results now revealed, settled on top of Jason's still sealed envelope, and next to them she placed the silver key that he had given her the day after she moved in. Giving the room one last sweep with her eyes Elizabeth found the pool table, the bare floor, the coffee table, the entryway to the kitchen and the glorious stairs where he simply had to have her because she was too beautiful to wait for.

The fairy tale was over, the clock had struck midnight and Jason wouldn't be chasing after her with a glass slipper. She was a result of the chaos around her and she would deal with that, she always did, took whatever life handed to her. She only hoped that money she saved was enough to get her out of the country or else she would have to find another job, in another city, with another set of lies.

Pulling the penthouse door closed behind her she headed for the elevator, her thumb pressing the down button. She would miss this place, the security she felt around the guards and the friends that she had made. She couldn't remember the last time she looked over her shoulder, questioning whether or not they had found her. Jason made her feel like she was wrapped up in a warm cocoon, protecting her from whatever mob war waged outside them.

As the door opened before her, Elizabeth turned to her left and saw him standing there, a new guard that Jason recently hired. She knew that meant that someone was home and it was most likely Lily, the quiet gentle wife of Sonny Corinthos.

She knew that Jason would tell them eventually, once he had calmed down and his head was somewhat clear he would make sure that Sonny was aware of the lies, of the betrayal and she was sure that Lily would be told right after that. She didn't want it to be that way, she wanted Lily, the one real friend she ever had, to hear the story, the whole story from her. She owed the woman that much.

Ignoring the elevator Elizabeth walked over towards the door and nodded to the guard, "Miss Elizabeth…"

He smiled softly, "Mrs. Corinthos has told me that you always have a standing invitation." He opened the door with one beefy hand and stepped aside, allowing Elizabeth to enter before he closed it quietly behind her.

She saw Lily on the couch, reading from a book, smiling up at her, "Hi Elizabeth, I wasn't expecting you over although I don't mind the company at all. Adella was just put down for her nap and Sonny won't be home with Morgan for another hour or two."

Elizabeth loved this about Lily. The woman beside her had finally gotten a free minute to herself and she didn't want to spend it alone, she wanted it to be shared with her best friend. It made Elizabeth's heart twist a little tighter.

"Lily, I can't stay," she said quietly, "There's just….there's something I have to tell you."

Elizabeth gnawed on her lip, rubbing it between her teeth as she followed Lily's eyes. They moved from Elizabeth's pained face to her shoulder where the strap began, to her side where the bag rested. Then the brown eyes moved back up to Elizabeth's face and the smile was gone from Lily's.

"What happened?" Lily asked moving towards her, "Did you and Jason have an argument?"

Elizabeth laughed as she felt the tears hit her eyes, "You could call it that."

"Elizabeth, I'm sure…"

"Can I sit?" Elizabeth asked motioning towards the couch, "Can you sit with me?"

"Sure," Lily nodded and moved her latest romance novel out of the way, placing it on the coffee table in front of her. When Elizabeth sat down next to her, removing the bag from her shoulder and placing it at the floor by her feet, Lily took her hands, squeezing them gently, "Tell me about it. What did that big oaf do?"

Elizabeth couldn't resist it. She just threw her arms around Lily and hugged her tightly, squeezing her until she thought she herself couldn't breath. Lily couldn't possibly know that she was the sister Elizabeth never had. She was always there to listen to her, she wasn't fond of the idea of Elizabeth stripping but she still encouraged her to do what she needed, she was ecstatic when she found out that she was taking over the manager's position at the club. Lily said it was about time a woman was running things.

Elizabeth loved her and she hated that she would be disappointing yet another person who had given her so much.

"You're scaring me," Lily said quietly when Elizabeth pulled back, a tear slipping down her face, Lily's gentle hands tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've done something…I haven't done something," Elizabeth corrected, "I haven't told the truth, to you or Sonny or Jason or anyone and it's time that I start doing it now. I know that I can't possibly fix what I've broken but I'm going to try, at least with you Lily, because I know that you'll hear me out, you'll give me that chance."

"Sweetie, what happened?" Lily asked, squeezing her hands again, "Of course I'll listen to you, you know that. You always have a friend in me."

Elizabeth hoped that was true, she hoped that even after everything that was about to come tumbling out of her mouth Lily would still want to stand by her side. She wouldn't be around but she needed to know that someone actually gave a damn.

"When I came to town," she smiled softly, "I saw the ad and I just wanted to get a job for a couple of weeks, wait till the winter storms passed over, earn some more bucks and then get myself down to some tropical paradise. I didn't know you or Jason or Sonny or any of the guards. I didn't care about what was going on with your lives I just simply wanted to know where my next meal came from and I did whatever I had to do in order to get it," she bit her lip and looked away from Lily as a fresh wave of tears hit her eyes, "I was scared but I couldn't admit that, even to myself, because I knew that if I was scared I wouldn't be able to make it," she looked back at Lily, her eyes wide now, "And I had to make it Lily, I just had to."

"It's okay, Elizabeth," Lily said quietly as she pulled the younger woman into another hug, "It's okay, take your time with whatever it is you are trying to tell me, I'm not going anywhere."

Elizabeth sniffled and nodded, "Jason was a bit of an ass when I first met him, I was a bit of a bitch myself and I had no problem letting the lies roll of my tongue, it didn't even phase me, I was so use to it," she sighed and closed her eyes, "I hate that I'm so use to it. I told him, I provided him with documentation proving that I was an adult, that I could work in his club, in Sonny's club," she took a deep breath and tired to pull her hands away from Lily but the older woman clung to them, "When I found out about the Feds, about Sonny being caught before for hiring someone underage, I should've stepped forward, I should've opened my mouth then."

Lily swallowed slowly and looked at Elizabeth, her brown eyes still gentle and understanding, "You're not eighteen, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "I just turned seventeen, today. After you became my friend, after Sonny started looking out for me, after I started fal…I didn't say a damn thing and I put Sonny and Jason at risk. I let you believe that I could be trusted and did nothing more than continue to lie to you."

Lily let out a slow breath and gave Elizabeth a small smile, her hands still gripping the other woman's, "This is quite a shock, but to me and Sonny, I don't see where there is any harm done."

Elizabeth blinked, "What?"

Lily laughed softly and brushed some more hair out of Elizabeth's face, "No one knew your age while you were stripping, Elizabeth and even though I think you are the best person for the job because of your age we can't allow you to continue on as manager. We'll just tell everyone that you decided to do something else and no one will question it. You wouldn't have been hired if you hadn't been able to prove that you're an adult."

"Lily, I can't…"

"Do you have your GED? If not, then we'll work on that, then we'll talk about college," Lily smiled, "You're a smart young woman and I'm sure that once Jason gets over…"

"I love you," Elizabeth whispered pulling her hands from Lily's. "Thank you for being you. I don't deserve your kindness or forgiveness or you even wanting to help me. I deserve to be cut off, Lily."

"Like Jason did," Lily said and her smile saddened when Elizabeth looked away, "I know the kind of man Jason Morgan is and I have no doubt that he lost his temper. He does that a lot around you, I told Sonny it was the sexual tension," she laughed softly, "But he'll be able to forgive you and I know there is a big age difference but maybe if you slow down a little bit, wait until you're eighteen…"

"If Jason wanted me, Lily, I don't think I'd be able to wait," Elizabeth laughed bitterly, "He doesn't and I don't blame him and I won't blame you for turning me away after you hear the rest of it."

"There's more?"

Elizabeth nodded and she stood up from the couch, taking her bag strap and dragging the bag with her, bringing it closer to the door. She wanted to get through to Lily, to make this woman believe that she wasn't a good person, that she had deliberately brought danger upon her, upon her family.

Yes Elizabeth wanted Lily's friendship, yes she would treasure it like no other, but she would not put Lily or her family in danger, she loved all of them, Sonny for helping her, Lily for wanting to be her friend, Adella and Morgan for being the most beautiful children in the world. No, she had to make Lily see things as Jason saw him; unfixable.

Elizabeth wasn't sure she'd be able to turn down Lily if she offered to help.

"When I first met you, you told me that people didn't know what to say to a wife of an alleged mobster, told me that you don't make friends easily in this business, and I told you that I didn't care," Elizabeth looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting together, "I didn't care because that's me, that's who I am, I don't judge you by who you are married to and what you do for a living. I," she laughed sadly, "I have no right to judge anybody, but," she licked her dry lips, "There was another reason I didn't care Lily; it was because I understood."

"You understood?" Lily asked as she stood up from the couch, her eyebrows knitting together.

"I understand what its like to have people look at you differently," Elizabeth said quietly as she watched Lily approach her, "I've seen the horror in their eyes when they realize that you are the husband of _that_ man, the one who is an alleged mobster, an alleged murderer," she watched Lily stop a few feet from her and take a deep breath, "I know all about that world Lily because I'm a part of it. I lived with the organization for the past three years of my life. I'm one of you."

Lily shook her head, lost, confused. Elizabeth was standing across from her, telling her that she understood the world of the mafia, the way that things worked, the way the world ran around them. She described what Lily had encountered, the scorn, the disgust, as if she had encountered it first hand. Lily just couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Elizabeth was seventeen now which meant that she was fourteen when she was first introduced to this horrible, wonderful world.

"Elizabeth," Lily said softly, "What happened? How? Did you meet some boy who just…"

Elizabeth laughed, "Him and my father, the two men I thought I loved me the most in this world wound up dragging me into something dark and sinister, something I wasn't prepared for. If I hadn't known any better I would've thought they were in on it together but no, my father just got in over his head and my boyfriend at the time," she shook her head sadly, "He thought it was all about the glitz and the glamour and he loved the power, he craved it, needed it," she turned away and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, "More than I do at times."

"The power?" Lily asked as she started to approach Elizabeth again, "Does that mean you were at the top of this organization?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, I was with them, I was along for the ride and I was dressed up, taken to pretty balls and charity functions. At first it started off as me being eye candy and then…" she shrugged, "I was passed around like a desert."

"God, Elizabeth…" Lily whispered, reaching out, wanting to comfort this young woman who experienced too much in her lifetime. She didn't know the whole story, was only trying to grasp the bits and pieces that Elizabeth was offering her and she couldn't imagine how Jason could turn his back on this woman, not after what she had been through.

Lily could imagine Jason getting the information, confronting Elizabeth and then not letting her get a word in edge wise.

"Don't, please," Elizabeth said turning away, presenting Lily with her back, "This is coming out all wrong. I am not the victim here."

"Elizabeth, I don't know how you can say that," Lily said, "You can't honestly tell me that at the age of fourteen you wanted to become a stripper. That couldn't have been your goal."

"Fourteen and a half," Elizabeth said quietly, "I started working in the club at fourteen but I wasn't asked to take my clothes off until I was fourteen and a half," she turned towards Lily, sadness in her eyes, bitterness, disappointment with the world, "And I remember when I turned twelve and went down to the California beaches with my parents how jealous I was of those girls, how I wanted to be an early developer," she felt the tears again but she refused to let them fall, she blinked them back until they disappeared, "You don't know how much I wish I could be twelve again."

"Elizabeth…" Lily said, her arms outstretched.

"No!" Elizabeth shouted, "Listen to me, you're letting me ramble, this isn't right. I brought myself into your world and I shouldn't have done that. He is after me."

"Who is after you?" Lily asked.

"The man who I left, the man who I am running from," Elizabeth replied panicked, "I wasn't packing my bags running from Jason's world, Lily, I was packing my bags, running from Jason to protect him from my world."

"If Jason only…"

"He knows!" Elizabeth shouted and then took a deep breath, calming herself, not wanting to wake up beautiful Adella, "He knows that I lied to him and Sonny and you and that I put your life in danger, the lives of your kids in danger. I have been running for almost three months now Lily and I shouldn't have stopped. I never planned on stopping but the moment I walked into that club and saw Jason…" she hurried back over to her bag, threw the strap over her shoulder, "I needed to tell you, I owed you that much and I wanted you to know that I'm deeply sorry. You have become more of a family to me than my own family ever was and I won't ever forget that."

"Where are you going to go, Elizabeth? You can't possibly have that much money."

"I have what I saved," Elizabeth said, "And I just need it to get me out of town, I'll go from there."

She pulled the door open and came face to face with the startled new bodyguard and Johnny who was speaking to him in hushed tones. The conversation ended when they both saw Elizabeth.

"I'm going," Elizabeth said quietly, "There's no reason for you to escort me out."

Johnny cleared his throat and looked slightly embarrassed, "Jason just asked me to…"

Elizabeth turned back towards Lily, "Jason will tell you the real story, he won't sugar coat it with my sad tale of woe, he'll let you know what I have done and it's the worst crime of all. I've put your children in danger by staying here, by coming here."

"I don't think…" Lily started but Elizabeth shook her head.

"You are so kind hearted, you are so good for Sonny and I hate that I did this to you," she turned towards Johnny, "All of you. I'm going to make it very clear that I'm not longer in town, I'm going to leave a trail so they'll come after me and steer clear of Port Charles."

"That's not safe, Elizabeth," Lily said, "What is going to happen to you when he finds you?"

"Lizzie Webber goes back to work."


	17. Chapter 17

A case of beer later and Jason realized that it still hurt to come home.

He had been standing in his doorway for the past five minutes, his hand gripping the shiny gold knob as he glanced around the apartment and found nothing remaining of Elizabeth Webber. The fuzzy slippers that she wore were no longer poking out from under the couch, there was no burnt cooking surprise wafting in from the kitchen, the pool table wasn't set up for a game, the room no longer smelled like lilacs but the memories were still there, her laughter still haunted him.

He stormed in, growling, slamming the door behind him, causing the frames on his wall to shake and threaten to fall to the floor. He hated this place, hated that he had to live here, hated what she had done to it. It was no longer an apartment filled with sparse pieces of furniture, it was a home, a place that he longed to go to at the end of the day. She filled it with sunshine, made him relax and was usually there before him, waiting on the couch with a cold beer.

She would roll her eyes and tell him about her day, he would grumble about coffee beans and explain his. Somewhere between their words the kisses started, then a game of pool began and often times they decided to skip dinner and go right to dessert.

How long had she been in his life? Two, three months at best and yet he felt as if someone were reaching into his chest and ripping out his heart. He felt a physical pain that was like a blow to the gut and he knew that the spinning in his head wasn't resulting from too much liquor.

He missed her; he wanted her after all that she had done. He didn't want to live without her and yet he didn't know how to go after her, he didn't know how to fight for someone who knowingly put his life in danger, his friends life in danger, who knowingly continued with the lies she had told.

Someone who was just a child.

So he started towards the kitchen, aiming for another beer, something that would make his brain fuzzy, something that would dull the pain, blur her image for just a little while until he could start moving on.

It was then that he noticed the papers; spread out on his coffee table with the silver key next to it, the key he had given her the morning after she had moved in. He had placed it on a beautiful lap tray next to the breakfast he ordered from Kelly's.

The papers held the most intrigue, the results of Elizabeth's HIV test, the results that didn't matter to him a few hours ago. He didn't even think when his body slammed into hers; he didn't question what she had dropped on the floor the moment she stepped into the penthouse. He just knew that was his last time with her, he knew that he needed her to fill the void she had caused, it was like needing his next breath, that's how she described it, that's simply how it was.

His hands reached out, with a mind of their own, and picked up the sheets, his eyes searching, reading her information, her false information before he found the stated results. Elizabeth Webber tested negative for HIV.

He crumbled the papers in his hand and grabbed his own sealed package, already knowing the results, already being tested after being with Robin. It was something they had always done together; it was something he was going to do with Elizabeth, to prove to her that he was just as safe as she.

And look where it lead him, down the same road, towards the same heartbreak.

Kicking the small gated cage in front of the fireplace, Jason listened to it clang and scrap against the floor before he threw the packets down amidst the logs. He reached for the long matches on top of the mantle, scrapping one off, watching the flame dance before his eyes.

When he crouched down before the stone façade, looking for the perfect spot to ignite the fire, he noticed it, a piece of cotton material. He tossed the unlit stick on top of his papers, his fingers reaching for the scrap at the bottom of the logs.

It was a piece of blue silk bra that she had worn the night he had taken her on the pool table.

His fingers curled around it as he tried to fight back the tears, the memory of her body joining with his, rocking against his, wrapping around his. He scrapped the partly burnt material against his face as he cursed it, cursed her and cursed everything around him.

Standing up with a growl he tossed the material back into the fire and grabbed the pack of matches, lighting one and then sticking it in to the book. He then tossed the pack into the logs and hopped that it would burn, all of it, their results, her clothes, the memories.

He turned around and grabbed the first thing he saw, his end table, picking it up and tossing it across the room, sending it flying into the bookshelf beside the pool table. Next was the chair, pulling it up and flipping it to his side, sending it crashing into the gated fireplace cover that he kicked just a few minutes ago.

He stalked across the room, ripping apart the couch cushions, rolling it over onto its back. His desk chair was lifted over his head and tossed clear across the room, breaking the glass doors that led out to the patio where the seat came to its final resting place.

His fists slammed against the desk until he caused the wood to start to break and splinter, then he yanked the drawers out, slamming them against the penthouse door. After that he started towards the pool table, picking up the balls and tossing them into the kitchen. He picked up the sticks and broke them across his knee, sending each end flying in different directions. He hoisted the table up at one end and cried out with a roar when it landed with its legs straight in the air and the wonderful green felt was facing the floor.

The kitchen couldn't be ignored, not when she had spent so much time in there trying to cook, not when she had finally succeeded in making brownies only to have them burn because he simply couldn't keep his hands off of her. He pulled open the cabinet doors and started yanking out the boxes of food, tossing all items into the garbage. Next he pulled out a pan and bashed it against everything thing that he could. Throwing it to the ground, he stomped over to the refrigerator and pulled out her chocolate milk, pouring it down the drain, every last drop. Tossing the plastic container in the sink he walked over to his counter and grabbed a butcher knife, the one that Elizabeth was always afraid to touch.

The next room was the bedroom.

And that's all he thought about as he stalked back out into the living room, kicking pieces of furniture and debris out of his way. He pounded up the stairs, his fists punching against the railing, the knife curled in his hand.

He wanted to tear it all to pieces, everything that she had touched and he kicked open the bedroom door with his foot, intent on tearing the mattresses apart, ripping it to shreds like she had done with his heart.

But when he approached it, when he had stared at the rumpled sheets that they had sweated upon last night in their furious lovemaking before they fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He could tear at the sheets they had made love in but he couldn't tear her from his mind.

The knife slipped from his hand as he felt to his knees, his arms resting against the edge of the bed, his face buried in them as the hot tears started to fall.

Sonny Corinthos was a man who prided himself on always being prepared. That was why he hired the men that he did to keep him up to date on the latest information and whereabouts of any known enemies. It was why Jason was his second in command, because he was smart and efficient, he took care of things that needed to be handled and made sure that Sonny was the first to know about it.

And he knew the day something slipped past the Corinthos-Morgan organization it would hit them hard. He just had no idea how hard.

Jason was a wreck. Sonny didn't know when he would be able to get a good day's work out of him. He had appeared at the warehouse a few hours earlier, his eyes red, his face looking haggard and his hand reaching for the bourbon that Sonny kept in his office.

Sonny knew that whatever Jason had to tell him it wasn't good and frankly he was expecting news of a death or a war brewing but he wouldn't, couldn't, prepare himself for the news that Elizabeth Webber was a minor, associated with an, at this time, unknown organization.

He felt as if someone had shot him in the back.

He couldn't fathom why Elizabeth had kept that information from him. In the beginning he could understand with her being underage that she had to keep it hidden, that he understood, and that he might be able to forgive. She, of course, would have to find another job but he would've made sure things worked out.

Putting his family in danger, knowingly staying in town when she knew that someone was looking for her, that was unforgivable and he could understand Jason's anger, he felt some of the rage himself and he was eager to get home to Lily, to explain things and hold her and his two children a little tighter.

He prided himself on being a good husband and father and that was why he tried his hardest to keep the danger out of Port Charles, he tried his damndest to do the best bargaining that he could so no one would try and take over the territory, so he could keep his love ones safe.

Now they were all at risk, because some underage girl got under Jason Morgan's skin and decided she didn't want to leave.

He was glad that Jason assured him Elizabeth was out of town. He didn't want to have to face her, not after this betrayal of trust. He wasn't sure what he would do to the young woman who had caused so much hurt and destruction.

Opening the door to his penthouse and seeing his wife anxiously waiting for him he didn't realize that Elizabeth was smart enough to get to Lily before anyone else did.

"You know, Jason told you," Lily said, "Well I'm telling you that there are two sides to the story and you are going to hear hers before you make any rash decisions."

"Lily," Sonny sighed tiredly as he pulled his coat off and hung it over the back of his chair.

"She has nothing, Sonny, she has no one, she didn't know who to trust and who not to trust," Lily said as she approached him, "She's seventeen, Sonny. She's seventeen and she's running from someone. I think she's running for her life. She didn't tell me that but…"

He smiled sadly at her as he took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly before pulling back and caressing her cheek, "I love you so much because you are so angelic. You take care of everyone. I don't know what would've happened to me if I never married you, Lily."

"She didn't know what to do, Sonny," Lily whispered, "Elizabeth never had any intention of us getting hurt. She doesn't want that."

"She brought danger upon us, upon my family," Sonny said quietly as he stepped away from his wife, "I can't forgive that, I can't forgive her for being around my children knowing that any moment someone could come collect her."

"She is gone, she is leaving town because of this," Lily said as she followed Sonny over to the couch, "She wants to stay here and fight for Jason, prove to us that she truly does love us and wants to be a part of our family but she's not doing that because she knows that she's wrong. She doesn't want to put us in anymore danger. Sonny," she sighed as she sat down next to him, "She said that she's going to leave a trail for these men to find her, she's going to lead them right out of Port Charles."

"Good," Sonny said, "That's what needs to be done."

"Sonny, if they find her…what if they kill her, Sonny? Do you want that on your conscience?"

"And what about Jason, huh?" Sonny asked, "Does Elizabeth mean more to you than he does? Because he walked into my office looking like hell earlier and I never seen him this bad Lily, not even after Robin. Aren't you concerned for him?"

Lily pulled away from him, "You know that I love Jason. You know that he is part of this family, but…"

Sonny sighed as he got up and moved to his wet bar, preparing himself bourbon.

"Elizabeth is a child," Lily said, "She was fourteen and a half when she started to strip, fourteen and a half, Sonny." Lily would never forget the age that Elizabeth told her, the age where she was forced to remove her clothes and dance for strange men, "She's only seventeen now and she has seen and done more things in her lifetime than I ever have and I grew up in this world."

Sonny took a long sip of his bourbon, trying to not let this tale of woe get to him, trying to remember that his family was in danger, that Jason was in pain.

"What if that happened to Adella?" Lily whispered from her curled up position on the couch, "What if Adella was handed over to strangers by some madman and forced to do what Elizabeth was done? Wouldn't you want someone to save her Sonny?"

Sonny turned to Lily, taking another long drink from his glass before placing it back down on his wet bar, "Are you telling me that some madman kidnapped Elizabeth and made her strip?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"No," Lily said quietly, "I'm telling you that her father did."

Sonny felt his heart lurch, felt his stomach drop to his feet and then turned back around towards his wet bar, back to get another drink to steady his nerves. Her own father turning her over to the hands of the mob who could do what they wished with her.

He didn't want to imagine, as he took another sip, what more she was doing besides stripping.

"I'm not asking you to take her under your protection, Sonny," Lily said, "That isn't safe for anyone. All I'm asking is that you get Elizabeth out of the country. Please, Sonny, for me," she whispered and then he felt her arms around him, felt her warm cheek press against his back through his silk shirt.

"Mi bellza," he whispered, "Anything for you."

Elizabeth secured the cinch on her robe tightly as she stepped out of the motel bathroom, towel drying her hair. That was the fifth shower in a row that she had taken and she still felt as if the slime from the owner of the club was still on her. She shuddered as she walked over to the century old refrigerator the cheap room housed and pulled out a beer from the case she scored in the deal.

It wasn't so much a deal with the devil as it was a deal with the scum of the earth.

She was making her way to the bus stop, walking across town from Harborview Towers was more like it, when she encountered a thief in the alleyway. He threw her up against a dumpster, threatened plenty of unpleasant things if she didn't turn over her bag and robbed her of all the money she had, tossing the bag back at her before he ran away laughing.

She cursed herself for wearing sensible sneakers instead of her stripper heels where she could've easily kicked the guy in the balls and probably jammed a hole in his neck.

Instead she picked up her clothes, which were now dirty, brushed herself off and made her way to the first seedy strip bar she came upon. She asked to speak with the manager, he inquired about her black eye and she told him her situation, asked if she could get an advance.

He offered her a job, two hundred dollars and a case of beer while he leered at her.

It didn't take her long to add up what she needed to do to actually get the things that he was offering. She laid down some ground rules, he followed, and she was right back to where she started, whoring herself out to strangers.

She had to do what she had to do and that was get out of town quickly. Two hundred bucks wouldn't take her far enough so she decide to stay the week, earn what she could, however she could, and then she was gone, first to Florida then she was going to fly out to the Bahamas, disappear from sight, never to be found again.

She sighed as she took a sip of her beer and collapsed back against her bed. She wanted to run to Jason, wanted to beg for his help, beg for his forgiveness but she screwed all that up. No matter how much time she gave him he would always look upon her as the woman who took his trust and threw it right back in his face laughing. No, she'd never get a second chance with the best thing that ever happened to her. She would just move on, away from his life, and make sure that the ones looking for her would follow her out of this city.

She would disappear somewhere between the Carolinas and the Keyes and then she would start anew and pretend that the wonderful Mr. Morgan never walked into her life.

She laughed sadly as she sat back up, brushing a tear from her eye and taking another sip from the long neck bottle. That was a fat chance. She would never forget Jason, never forget the way he touched her, the way he moved her, the way he made her feel like she was a real woman instead of a used up piece of garbage. She would never forget the way she loved him.

Rolling her eyes at the knock at her door, Elizabeth stood up, hopping it wasn't the teenager desk clerk that tried hitting on her or that her new boss did some questioning and found out where she was so he could go for another round. She wasn't up to any visitors tonight. She just wanted to crawl into her semi clean sheets and try to get a few hours of sleep.

Sipping her beer, she pulled on the handle of her door, opening it with an annoyed sigh, "What?"

His smirking eyes met hers, "Hello Lizzie, long time no see."

Elizabeth gasped as her face paled, her body started to shake and the beer bottle crashed against the linoleum floor.


	18. Chapter 18

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth whispered as he stepped into the room, causing her to step back, causing her toes to come in contact with a piece of glass, "Ow, God damn't."

"Calm down there, Lizzie," he said locking the door and putting the chain on. He then clucked at her before he helped her over to the bed and sat her down on the edge, picking up her toe and plucking the tiny piece of brown glass out of it, "Seriously, if your going to drink beer, do it with something good. Coors Light is piss."

"What are you doing here?" she asked as her eyes followed him into the bathroom, "What are you doing? Get back here!"

"Calm down," he called over the running water. He reappeared a few minutes later with a wash cloth in his hand, bending down in front of her again to wipe the small amount of blood off of her toe, "I take it that this place doesn't have any bandages?'

He stood back up, his hands shoved in his khakis, causing his leather jacket to bunch at the sleeves, "Seriously Lizzie, you were suppose to be moving up in the world, not down."

"Fuck you Sly Eckert," she growled, "How the hell did you find me?"

"It took me a while," he shrugged as he walked over to the fridge and pulled it open, taking out two bottles, twisting them open with his palm, "Shit, not the twist off, fuck, here," he said handing her one, "I gotta admit, I liked that you used your real name, well, almost real name," he grinned, "He had me searching for you under everything else and I just couldn't find ya. Surprised that you wound up here, you know I got family around these parts?"

Elizabeth shook her head as she took a long sip from the bottle, "I don't know many people around here."

"I ain't got family around here," he said, his face cringing, "I got family around the better parts of Port Charles. My Uncle owns some Blues Club and my Aunt runs this place called Kelly's."

"Bobbie?" Elizabeth asked. When Sly looked at her with a raised eyebrow she shoved the bottle back in her mouth, gulping down some more.

"Looks like you haven't been hanging around here, you wanna tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" she asked, "You're just going to take me back and my life will once again be all about the mob."

"But I'd like to hear about your adventure," he said as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down, propping his feet up in the one across from him, "Tell me who else you met in Port Charles?"

"I told you I didn't meet many people," she said as she stood up, "I don't want to talk about it, Sly. Let's just get this over with."

His eyes followed her as she walked over to that damn black bag of hers, watched her fiddle with the strap and gnaw on her lip like she always did when she had something weighing heavily on her mind. She then closed her eyes and took another sip of the beer.

"What you say in here is between you and me, Lizzie," Sly said, "You know that I won't take anything back, you know that I won't use it against you."

Elizabeth sighed and turned to look at him, her blue eyes mirroring pain, "I use to know you. I use to think that I loved you and look what happened, Sly."

Sly looked away from her, taking a long sip of his own beer, "You really know where to hit a guy, Lizzie. You know I feel bad about that but what did you want me to do?"

"Protect me, save me," Elizabeth said as she walked towards him, "Would that have been so hard? You were already earning a pretty decent salary and I had some money from waitressing."

"We would've never made it out of the city alive, Lizzie," he said, "He would've had us killed had I stepped in when he wanted you to start stripping. There would've been no chance for us. We would've been dead by midnight."

"Sometimes I wish I were dead, Sly," she said, "Sometimes I think it would be better off for the both of us if we were both just six feet under." She watched him blink and then look away from her again. She felt her heart constrict, "God Sly, no, tell me you didn't."

"I was his right hand man anyway, Lizzie, it was just inevitable that we made it official," he said, "I don't understand what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that you were only a bartender at a mob joint," Elizabeth said, "And that didn't have to change, you could've…"

"I'm perfectly happy being his hit man," he said, "You are the one that has a problem with this world."

"I have no problem with this world," she snapped, "I have a problem with him and with you thinking that you can force me into it."

"You're not an adult," Sly said, "You turn eighteen in another year and you can go…"

"No, that's it, I'm done, I'm not going back," she said, "I've had it. I'm tired of this, I'm tired of people running my life for me. You want to take me back, I will kick and I will scream and you might just have to present me to him in a body bag."

"What the hell happened to you here?" he asked, "Why are you being so damn difficult?"

"Difficult?" she laughed, "Are you fucking kidding me? You saw me change, Sly, before your eyes, I was this shy girl who was afraid to go to second base with you and then nine months later I'm on stage stripping and you watched me and you enjoyed it and I thought that was normal, I thought that was okay until I met someone who…" she stopped and turned back towards her bag, placing her beer on the table and opening it, digging for her clothes, knowing it was time to escape.

"He's on your tail," Sly said, "That's why I'm here. I told him that you were tired of it, Lizzie, but he won't let you go," she heard him place his beer bottle on the table behind her, "Don't you think I feel guilty for watching you? Don't you think that when I go to bed alone at night…"

"Which isn't often…" she snorted.

"That I don't think about what I did to us," he said as he came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "We were so good together, Lizzie, the way you felt in my arms was just…"

"We were kids," Elizabeth said as she turned towards him, "I was a child, you were sixteen going on twenty five. We didn't know what we were doing. Look where it got us? I'm running scared and you're killing people for a living."

"He knows where you are, Lizzie, I was suppose to come down here and get you," he said, "I didn't expect to find you at some seedy hotel I expected to find you cuddle up with some rich…what happened?"

"What?" she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"This isn't you," he said waving to the motel, "I tracked you to Connecticut and I found out that you spent two weeks hiring yourself out as a private stripper in Greenwich. Coming here, to Port Charles is bad enough, but if you came here you would've…"

"Leave me alone, it's done, it's over with, I was planning on leaving by the end of the week and instead I'll just leave now, just give me some time, please Sly, just tell him you couldn't…"

"No," Sly said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, "I want to know…" her hair moved, her bangs brushing from her face and he noticed the small bruise by her eye, "Who the fuck did this to you? What asshole were you fucking around with?"

"No one," she said shoving against him, "I said let it go, I will not…"

"I'll start naming names and that'll get a reaction out of you," he said as he let her go, "Let's start with my cousin, Lucky Spencer."

"You are being an ass," Elizabeth said through gritted teeth, "Let it go."

"No? Okay his brother Nikolas Cassadine," he said and received only her back being presented to him, "How about the Quartermaine's," Sly saw her body tense, "Did I hit a nerve Lizzie? Alan's too old, maybe rocker Ned? No, no response there, could it be A.J.?"

Elizabeth knew she should say it was A.J. or some other random guy in this town but she couldn't get her lips to work. She could only get her eyes to flutter down, pray that he didn't stumble upon his name. She didn't want to be caught in the middle of enforcer versus enforcer.

"I don't think its A.J.," Sly said as he grabbed her arm and turned her to look at him, "But if it's Quartermaine related…oh my god."

"Why didn't you leave it alone?" she asked pushing him, watching him fall back on the bed while she struggled with her tears, "Why couldn't you let me be free, Sly?"

"You blasted him for his involvement with the mob and you crawled right into bed with one of them, Lizzie, you got some nerve, if he finds out about this…"

"No!" Elizabeth screamed as she turned towards him, pulling him up, grasping his shirt, "Sly I swear to you, I will go back to him, I will find some way to get you money, I'll do anything Sly, anything just please, please he can't know, take me back, we can go now, Sly please."

"You're in love with him," Sly whispered, "You're in love with Jason Morgan. Lizzie, how the hell did this happen? You know better than to try and get yourself wrapped up in these things."

"I know, I know," she cried as she moved away from him, burying her face in her hands, "And I didn't mean to, Sly. I just was supposed to be here for a couple of weeks. I wanted to earn some more money so I could get down to Florida and out of the country and I don't know what happened, it just happened."

"And he knows?" Sly asked as he approached her, his fingers sliding through her hair, "He knows everything."

"He knows that I'm underage and he knows that I'm running from an organization," Elizabeth said biting her lip, "He doesn't know who and I don't want him to know. It's over Sly, there is no reason for anyone else to find out about this please,"

"Shh, shh," Sly whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace, "I should've done right by you a long time ago, Lizzie, and I'm going to start doing it now. I'm getting you out of here, away from it all, okay?" he pulled back and wiped her tears away with his fingers, "Don't cry on me, I turn into putty when you cry on me, you know that."

She nodded slowly.

"Who else knows about you and Morgan?" Sly asked, "Lizzie if you disappear and he finds out about this, the first person he is going after is Morgan, you know that right?"

She nodded eagerly this time, "I know and that's why I was going to give up my trail, I wanted him to follow me down South."

"That's not going to happen, I'm going to take care of things from now on," Sly said, "I'm going to need a couple of days. I have to wire the funds to a bank account I have here. I'm going to fix this for you, Lizzie, I don't know what he'll do to you if he finds out that you hitched up with the enemy."

"Sly, I…"

She wanted to tell him that she was grateful, that she forgave him for everything in the past when he said he would take care of things, when he would do right by her. Sly turned out to be an enforcer but he was also the one that protected her during her first few days as a stripper. He watched out for her when he could and maybe what he said was true, maybe by doing nothing at all he kept her alive.

Her being alive led her to Jason Morgan and she would never regret a moment she spent with him.

She licked her lips, ready to continue when another knock disturbed her. She was slightly shocked when Sly stepped back and reached for his gun, loading it and motioning to the door with his head.

"No, get in the bathroom," she said, "I'll get rid of them."

Sly nodded but he still didn't put his gun away. She wiped away her remaining tears as she headed for the door, avoiding the glass that she had yet to pick up, and unlocking it quickly. She was floored to see the man standing on the other side.

"Sonny."

"Maybe I come in, Elizabeth?" he asked with a small smile, one dimple showing on his left cheek.

Elizabeth knew that she should shut the door, she should turn Sonny away and take the help that Sly was offering her, yet she knew that she couldn't. Sonny wouldn't have come unless it was important and she was interested to hear anything he had to say about Jason.

"Please," she said stepping aside, "Watch the glass," she carefully avoided it again and removed the towel from the bed, "I'm sorry, I know this isn't…"

"I'm surprised your staying overnight," Sonny said as he squinted while looking at her face, "You were suppose to be gone, Elizabeth. What happened to your eye?"

"It's why I'm still here," she said smiling nervously, "I was mugged on the way to the bus station and all the money I had was in my bag so," she shrugged, "I had to stay in town a couple of nights to earn some more of it."

"Okay," Sonny said as he looked around the motel room, "But even a seedy place like this costs…" his eyes fell back on Elizabeth and he saw her wince and look away, embarrassed. His heart started aching again, "I'd like to offer you a way out of town."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said with a sad smile as she tucked a piece if damp hair behind her ear, "But I won't be able to take it. I promise you that I won't bring danger to your family. I'm going to leave town in a few days. Nothing will happen, I promise you, your family is safe. I just need a few more days."

"Did someone contact you?" Sonny asked, "Because it sounds like you know…"

"I know that he's coming after me," Elizabeth said quietly as she looked away from the man who had become a true friend to her, "And I know that I have to leave as soon as I can in order to protect everyone. I shouldn't have gone to Lily but I owed it to her Sonny. She had a right to hear it from me."

"So did Jason," Sonny said quietly, "But I know that he won't listen to a word you have to say."

Elizabeth nodded, "Thank you for coming by, tell Lily I said thank you too."

"I have a private jet," Sonny said, "That will take you anywhere you have to go, you name the exotic location and you'll disappear Elizabeth," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, "With all this. I can have it fueled up and ready to go by tomorrow morning."

"Sonny, I can't let you…"

"You lied to me," Sonny said, his chocolate eyes blazing, "You put my club at risk, you put me at risk, you put my family at risk with your lies and your past. You owe it to me to get out of town. This is the quickest way possible, take it."

Elizabeth knew that Sonny was right so she nodded, "I will pay you back every dime that you give me. I'll pay for the flight and the fuel and everything."

"You want to pay me back?" Sonny asked as he advanced towards her, "Tell me who I'm going to be looking over my shoulder for, tell me who is after you, tell me where you came from, Elizabeth. I need to know what the stakes are if he comes…"

"He won't," Elizabeth said licking her lips, "I'll figure out someway to leave a trail. I'll figure out something before tomorrow, Sonny."

"Elizabeth," he said softly as he placed his hand on her shoulders, "Elizabeth had I known I would've tired everything in my power to protect you but now…after all this," he sighed as he turned away shaking his head, "I'm asking you to help me protect my family. Please, tell me what organization I'm up against."

Elizabeth could almost hear Sly holding his breath in the bathroom, could almost hear him whispering in her ear that she should never let the enemy know of your whereabouts. Sly would consider Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan their enemies.

She didn't.

"Chicago," she said quietly, "I'm running from the largest mid west run organization in the country, Sonny."

"Alcazar?" Sonny asked with wide eyes, "You're running from Alcazar, Elizabeth? He's your boss?" he watched as her eyes water, "Elizabeth, what is he to you?"

Elizabeth laughed bitterly as she blinked back her tears, "He's my husband."


	19. Chapter 19

"That's enough, Elizabeth," Sly said as he stepped out of the bathroom, gun aimed at Sonny Corinthos.

"Sly, are you crazy? Put that away," Elizabeth said.

"Are you armed?" Sly asked as he approached Sonny.

"If he is you certainly aren't going to disarm him while your aiming a gun at his face for doing nothing wrong," she said as she placed her hand over the weapon, "You are not an enforcer in this room, you are my friend and so is Sonny," she turned to look at him, "He was anyway."

"I know this isn't your husband," Sonny said as his eyes narrowed towards Sly, "But you look familiar."

"You use to do business with my Uncle," Sly said moving the gun down towards his side but keeping it in plain view, "Luke Spencer."

"Sly Eckert," Sonny said, "I had no idea you were in this business."

"What I do is what I do, no one needs to know about it," Sly said as he pulled Elizabeth's wrist and she tumbled towards with a squeak, "Lizzie and I are just fine. You can go now."

"Sly…" Elizabeth warned through gritted teeth.

Sonny shook his head and looked at Elizabeth, "I'm assuming since Jason didn't mention that you were married, he wasn't made aware of it."

"I didn't get a chance to say much," Elizabeth said quietly, "But he told me that he's expecting a package in the morning and I'm sure the rest of the information is in there."

Sonny nodded, "I want to get you out of town, him I'm not worried about."

"There's no need to, I can take care of myself," Sly snorted, "And Lizzie."

"Alcazar must be an idiot to let a young fool like you be in charge of eliminating his enemies," Sonny said, "I could've taken that gun off of you in a…"

"You wanna try it?" Sly asked with raised eyebrows.

"Enough," Elizabeth said and turned on Sly, "I swear to God if you don't stop this macho bullshit I'm going to literally knock you upside the head. Now," she said turning on Sonny, "I want to take your offer; I want to get out of here so that I won't cause your family any further danger."

"Lizzie…"

"But," Elizabeth said glaring at Sly, "Sly assures me that he can stall Luis for a few days and he can get me out of town, with him. I trust Sly and I can't leave without him. I know that I've given you no reason to trust me, but you have my word Sonny that you're family will be safe."

"Elizabeth, I'd rather not take that chance," Sonny said, "If allowing this kid to go along with you…"

"I'm not a…damn't Lizzie," Sly growled as she elbowed him in the stomach.

Sonny cleared his throat, "If allowing Sly to go with you will get you out of this town sooner than I'll arrange it. I'll let the pilot know you'll be ready to leave tomorrow morning." He tossed the wad of bills onto the hotel table, "I hope that you're finally able to find some happiness, Elizabeth."

She smiled sadly, "I already did Sonny, enough to last me a lifetime."

He nodded and looked at Sly, "Dawn tomorrow, don't be late."

The door was closed quietly behind the mobster and Sly went back over to it, flicking the lock and securing the chain, "You can't seriously think that I'm going anywhere…"

"You told me that you'd come with me," Elizabeth said as she choked back some tears, "And you know what Sly I want to fight you, I want to tell you that it will be better for you, that we can go live in the Virgin Islands where you can bartend all day and seduce the ladies all night, I want to convince you of that that but Sonny Corinthos just walked out that door, promising me a better chance at life, a chance to live in paradise and to enjoy the rest of my days doing nothing and I could care less," she whispered as tears fell from her eyes, "Because my life, my happiness, my paradise is sitting in a penthouse at Harborview Towers and I'll never be able to enjoy a minute of that again."

"I'll go Lizzie," Sly whispered as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, "I'll go."

Elizabeth smiled sadly as she came to sit on an old stone bench in front of the fountain at the park. The morning sun was just about to kiss the sky and she asked Sly for a few more minutes before they would have to head to the small airfield where Sonny kept his private jet.

She hadn't been here long but Port Charles felt like more of a home to her than any of the other cities she had lived in. She couldn't believe that she had no intentions on stopping in this dinky little town. She couldn't imagine just passing through without making a pit stop at _Lily's _club.

And while it hurt, while her heart ache and her gut twisted, she had the moments, tucked away of her and Jason, lusting after one another, loving one another, feeling so complete after making love with him. Nothing and no one would ever be able to touch that and while he ripped the foundation out from under her, rightfully took away her friends and her safety net, he would not be able to take away the memories that she would live with for the rest of her life.

She never wanted to think about moving on, she never wanted to try and find someone else, and she certainly didn't want to patch things up with Sly. She wanted to be stuck in neutral, living in the past three months, treasuring what she could.

She would be able to do that, on a straw bar stool, at some beautiful beach, in the Virgin Islands.

Sighing Elizabeth stood up and bumped right into a hard body, "Oh, I'm sorry…Jason."

Jason cursed under his breath, stepping back and clenching his raw hands into fists. He had been stumbling around the city since earlier that morning, unable to stay in his penthouse because he kept having visions of her, dancing for him, stripping for him, trying so hard to cook for him and he couldn't escape her, she was everywhere, making love to him in the kitchen, on the floor, on the stairs, in the shower. It was hell and he had to escape it so he had been circling the park since three a.m., killing time until his early morning meeting with Johnny. He hated that he ran right into the devil that he was running from.

"You aren't supposed to be here, I thought I told you to get out of town," he said.

Elizabeth took a step back. She could feel the hate radiating off of his body, his words coming out in clipped tones as he stared at her, his icy blue eyes boring right through her skin.

"I'm leaving right now," Elizabeth said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Sonny said that the…" she stopped and her eyes grew wide, releasing that Jason didn't know Sonny was her way out, "Excuse me," she mumbled walking around him.

"No, I don't think so," Jason said grabbing her arm and holding her in place, "What is this about Sonny?"

"It's nothing," Elizabeth said, "You wanted me to go, I'm going," she felt Jason's fingers pressing harder against her skin, "Jason, you're hurting me."

"And no one wants to hurt poor Lizzie," he said in disgust before releasing her, "Do you have Sonny wrapped around your little finger now? Is he helping you find another way out?"

"Sonny offered me a way to leave town because Lily asked him to," she said quietly, "I'm on my way now."

Jason laughed harshly, "Are you fucking him too?"

Elizabeth gasped, "That was uncalled for. I can't believe that you would…"

"I would what, Elizabeth?" he asked, "Hmm? I'm just trying to be honest, something that your unfamiliar with. I'm trying to understand why my best friend would want to help you out because you are the one who brought this danger upon everyone; you are the one who…"

"I tried to tell you and you wouldn't listen!" she screamed back, "You just take what you want to hear and you…"

"You lied to me!" Jason yelled at her, his finger pointed in her face, "Can you deny that? Huh? Can you talk your way out of that, Elizabeth?"

"I never made any intention of staying," Elizabeth whispered, "I didn't plan on us falling…"

"Oh I fell alright," Jason said, "And it was a nice big wake up call. The minute you decided to stay in town you should've opened that lying little mouth of yours and made us aware of the situation. Sonny would've gladly helped you, shit he's doing it now isn't he? But no, you had to take their friendship and throw it right back in their faces."

"Do you know who you're dealing with?" Elizabeth asked, "Did you get your fucking papers yet Jason? I don't think even you would want to start a war with who I'm running from. I am trying my best to salvage this screwed up situation but I am not really equipped to…"

"Oh you were equipped enough to come into the club and lie to me," Jason said, "Produce some fake identification to get yourself into my life, into my bed. You made it this far, Elizabeth, I have faith that you'll find another man who you can sink your claws into."

"I told you how I got here, Jason, my father used me to pay off his…"

"You know, you can only take that so far," Jason said, "And I'd like to know if Lily would be able to forgive you if you were saying that while she was standing over her husbands bleeding body."

Elizabeth scoffed as the tears fell from her eyes, "I guess this is the enforcer that I never met, the man who becomes a statue for his enemies, a figure that nothing and no one can penetrate. And here I stand Jason," she whispered, "Still loving you."

He looked away from her, unable to take anymore of her tears, "Yeah well don't."

"Oh no," Elizabeth laughed as she stepped towards him, "You can throw me out of your penthouse and you can take my friends and you can order me out of town but you cannot, will not, take my love away. Our time is something that I hold very dear and I am so sorry that you got caught in the middle of this Jason because hurting you was the last thing that I wanted to do but it happened and I know now, more than ever, that you can't forgive me for that."

"Elizabeth, I'm tired of you're…"

"I'm tired of it too, Jason, all of it," Elizabeth said, "But I'm leaving now and I'm glad that I was able to see you one more time, just to tell you that I love you."

"Lizzie," Sly said as he came to stop a few feet from her, "It's time to go."

Elizabeth looked up at Jason, looking for some sign that he heard her, that it got through to him, but he stared ahead his eyes focused on Sly. She sighed and turned away from him, slowly making her way to her old friend, his arm easily coming around her, his hand resting against the small of her back. She looked back once more but Jason was looking away, his eyes focused intently on a bush that stood beside him. She leaned into Sly, resting against his shoulder as she shed even more tears.

Jason heard the shifting of feet and turned back, watching her disappear with the stranger, watching her walk out of his life forever. One lone tear slid down his face as his lips opened and his mouth whispered, "I love you too."

"They'll be boarding the plane momentarily," Sonny said as he hung up his private desk phone and turned to his wife, "She's safe."

"Thank you," Lily smiled from the couch, "And thank you for taking off of work today to spend some time with me."

Sonny grinned flashing his dimples, "With Grandpa Mike offering to baby sit…" he frowned as the phone rang behind him, "Keep the couch warm, I'll be right there. Hello?"

"_Mr. Corinthos, I want to thank you for your hospitality towards my wife, unfortunately it wasn't necessary_," Luis Alcazar grinned, "_I'm on my way to Port Charles as we speak not only to collect my dear Lizzie but I'm afraid I've become quite fond of the territory you hold there as well._"

"Don't think that you can just come to…"

Luis laughed, "_Say hello…and goodbye to the Missus for me_."

Sonny pulled the phone away from his ear when Luis Alcazar disconnected. He slammed it down and walked towards Lily, "We need to get out of here, we're getting the kids and I'm taking you to a…"

They both looked up startled when three rapid shots came from the hall. Sonny threw Lily on the ground, his body covering hers when the door was kicked open and a lone gun man stood there, firing the remainder of his gun clip into the bodies on the floor.

"Something's not right," Sly said, handing Elizabeth her black bag and reaching into his waistband for his gun, "Something's off."

"What?" Elizabeth asked as they slowed before they reached the airplane, "I knew the guard who brought us here, there's nothing wrong with him, I don't see…"

"Stop," Sly said as he pulled Lizzie to a halt, about thirty feet from the plane. The stairs were already down, waiting for them to board and she could see the pilot with his head set on, turning towards them and waving for them to move forward.

"Sly…" Elizabeth words were cut off as the plane exploded in front of them, the force throwing them back to the ground as the pieces of metal and plastic began to shower over their bodies.

"I just don't get why someone would want an early morning meeting in the park," Jason said as he clenched and unclenched his fists, his nerves still on edge from his meeting with Elizabeth.

Johnny shrugged, "Witnesses, I don't…Jason look out!"

Johnny threw his employer down on the ground and tried to fire as a car sped past them, three guns aimed in their direction, spraying bullets everywhere. He managed to get a few shots off before a bullet whizzed by his head and he was forced to take cover. He saw Jason pop up next to him, hitting the car twice before he too fell to the ground. He growled as he struggled to sit up, wanting to know if Jason had been hit badly.

"Jason…" Johnny said crawling towards him, "Jason."

It was then that he noticed the blood pouring from his head.


	20. Chapter 20

"Sly," Elizabeth groaned as she tried to push the heavy weight off of her stomach, "Sly, are you okay?"

"I'm alright Lizzie," Sly standing over her with his gun still in his hand, "Hang on while I get this off of you. The pilots dead and no one else came running to see what happened so I don't think that's a good sign."

Elizabeth saw him move away from her and then she felt the weight lift off of her, a loud crashing noise echoed in her ear as Sly threw a large piece of metal behind him. She tried to sit up but her body didn't want to obey her brains command.

"Lizzie, Lizzie wait," he said grabbing her elbow.

Elizabeth held her head as he helped her into a sitting position and she looked at him, saw that he was bleeding from a cut on his cheek and one on his chin, "What hit you?"

"Some pieces of plastic," Sly shrugged, "We need to get you to the hospital, see if that caused any damage."

"I'm fine, no," Elizabeth said as he helped her to her feet, "This wasn't random was it? He knows I'm here. Did you lead him to me Sly? You told me that we had time!"

"I was told by Luis that he was giving me a few days," Sly said, "He was still working on things when I left, Lizzie, I don't know if he found out anything more about where you were or the men you were associating with."

Elizabeth visibly paled in front of him and Sly had to catch her in his arms to keep her from falling, "You're going to a hospital."

"What the hell happened?" Francis yelled as he came running into the hanger, his eyes growing wide as he took in the scene around him, "Is she alive?"

"You going to ask questions or is your boss kind enough to let me take her to the hospital before he kicks her out of town?" Sly asked as he hoisted Elizabeth up into his arms.

"The cars out front, I was about a mile down the road when I heard the explosion," Francis said, "Are there any survivors?"

"I'm afraid to check the offices," Sly said, "And I'm afraid to stand around here talking. I don't think this was a one man job and I don't think it stopped here. You need to drop us off at GH and go check on Mr. Corinthos."

Francis nodded eagerly as he led his way to the car. He wasn't going to wait until the hospital to check in with Johnny and Marco. Something wasn't right and he had the feeling that Elizabeth wasn't going to be the only person heading into the emergency room with war injuries.

"I said I'm okay," Jason yelled as Johnny helped him stand up. The enforcer shoved the bodyguard away, his hands reaching for his head, frowning in disgust when they came away with blood, "God damn't."

"You need to get that looked at," Johnny said, "Now," he added before Jason could interrupt, "I'm taking you to the doctors and…" Johnny reached into his pocket and grabbed his ringing cell phone, "O'Brien," he barked into the other end, "What? Have you heard from Marco? No, we're on our way there now."

Jason watched Johnny slid his phone back into his suit pocket before he faced him with a grim expression, "Just say it, Johnny."

"That was Francis," Johnny said quietly, "He's on his way back to town with Elizabeth. Her and her friend were about to board the plane when it exploded. He's not sure what the extent of Elizabeth's injuries are but he, along with her friend, are under the impression that this wasn't a random thing," he looked around the park, at the bullet shells that surrounded them and winced when he heard the approaching sirens, "We need to go."

"There's something you're not telling me," Jason said as he tired to hurry after Johnny, tried to get to the car before the police got to them.

Johnny sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat, looking at Jason when he heard the passenger door closed, "Francis can't reach Marco."

"Sonny was hit too," Jason said as his eyes narrowed, "Elizabeth Webber is dead."

"I'm fine, would you just leave me alone?" Elizabeth said pushing Sly away, "I don't understand the point of this. We shouldn't be here, this is too dangerous."

"I am not taking you anywhere until you get yourself checked out," Sly said, "I don't care how light you said that heavy piece of metal was, you could be bleeding internally and not know a damn thing about it. Sit down, shut up and wait here."

She flopped down in the chair, her arms across her chest and watched him head to the nurses station, explaining her situation and asking for forms to fill out. Her eyes then moved on to Francis who was standing very close to her and looking worried, his eyes darting back and forth between the elevators and the doors that lead to the outside.

"Francis, you spoke with Johnny," Elizabeth said quietly, "Can you tell me if anyone else is hurt?"

Francis looked down at her, anger in his eyes before he looked away again. He hated that this was happening to her and hated that he and the rest of the guards were caught in the middle. He knew that he couldn't disclose anything because Jason would kill him, that is if he didn't kill Elizabeth first.

"Room one, we've got heavy trauma, page Doctor Monica Quartermaine, tell her we need her stat, multiple gun shot wounds to the victim," an emergency medical technician yelled as Sonny was wheeled into the emergency room.

Elizabeth jumped to her feet as she watched in horror as the man who came to her rescue was rushed past, the white sheets that covered him were now quickly turning red with his own blood. The desperate cries reached her ears and she turned to see Lily stumbling in behind the ambulance team.

"Lily," Elizabeth said running towards her, "Lily, what happened?"

"Sonny got this call and he turned to tell me that we had to go and then the door burst open," Lily said as she ran tried to wipe at the continuous tears that were flowing down her face, "Sonny threw me to the floor and they just poured bullets into him, Elizabeth. Oh God, Elizabeth," she cried.

Elizabeth stumbled slightly as Lily threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly as she cried against the younger woman's shoulder. Elizabeth held her back, smoothing her hair before pulling back and looking at Lily's face.

"You have some blood…are you injured?" Elizabeth stepped further back and examined Lily's clothes. There was blood everywhere, on her shirt, her pants and even her beautiful leather shoes that she just bought on an outing with Elizabeth a few weeks ago.

"I'm fine," Lily said as her eyes went towards the door where Sonny was just taken, "This is all…"

Elizabeth pulled her back into her arms, afraid that she was going to hear Lily say that. It wasn't a good sign at all that her husband had lost so much blood. Elizabeth was afraid that he wasn't going to make it into surgery.

"Let's sit down," Elizabeth said as she helped Lily to a chair with one arm, the other one wrapped around her own stomach which was starting to ache, "Do you want anything to drink? Maybe Francis could go get you some water."

"I'm fine, I'm okay, Francis, check on the kids, oh god the kids, I couldn't even think," Lily cried, "They're with Mike," she turned to look at Elizabeth desperately, "If Sonny hadn't taken off, if Mike didn't offer too…"

"No, don't even think that," Elizabeth said firmly, "Sonny is going to be okay and the kids are fine. Francis will confirm that and I know that Jason is on his way. He'll take care of you, Lily."

Sly cleared his throat behind Elizabeth, "I filled out most of the forms for you, Lizzie. You just have to sign and go with the nurse; she's going to run some tests."

"Who is this?" Lily asked when she looked up at Sly and saw that he was cut, the blood quickly drying, "Are you okay? What happened?" the nurse in her caused her to stand up and examining Sly's right cheek, "This is shallow but you need to get this looked at and Elizabeth, did…what did they do to you? You aren't even supposed to be here Elizabeth, you were supposed to be on the…oh God."

"I'm okay," Elizabeth said as she pulled Lily back down beside her, "And I'm going to stay with you until Jason gets here, I'm not going to leave. The nurse can wait."

"Lizzie, I don't think…"

"Sly," Elizabeth said glaring at him, "I am okay, Lily is not."

Sly knelt down in front of Lily and held out his hand, "I'm Sly Eckert, Mrs. Corinthos, we've never met before but I've heard some wonderful things about you from my cousin, Lucky Spencer. I heard you were a nurse too."

"I am," Lily said, "Part time, here," she took his hand and gave him a forced smile, "It's nice to meet you, Sly. How do you know Elizabeth? Is it through…"

"I don't know any of his relatives," Elizabeth said, "Well, except Bobbie, but that's because I was always at Kelly's picking up food," she fiddled with a strand of hair and looked away from Lily. "Sly and I met…we met a few years ago."

"Oh," Lily said quietly and then slid a glare towards Sly, "He didn't…"

"He helped more than he harmed me," Elizabeth said, "Can I get you some water, Lily?"

"Sonny's jet blew up," Sly said before Lily could answer, "Elizabeth and I were far enough away to not be seriously injured but a piece of metal fell on her and I'm a little worried and I think that she needs to get it checked out."

"Sly!" Elizabeth said, "Would you stop being so insensitive?"

"He's right," Lily said, "He's worried about you. I think that you should go have it looked at. In fact, I'd like to come with you, it might help me take my mind off of…" she bit her lip as the tears started to fall again.

"Alright," Elizabeth said, "But if this check up has anything to do with drawing blood I think you need to be the one to do that. I don't like needles."

Lily laughed softly as she hugged Elizabeth, "You did just fine last time. Come on, I see the nurse waiting for you."

"I'll be right here, Lizzie," Sly said as he stood up and watched her disappear behind a curtain, her hand holding Lily's tightly. He sighed and turned around, coming face to face with an irate Jason Morgan.

"You want to tell me what the fuck you're still doing in town?"

"Probably the same reason you got that nasty ooze coming out of your head," Sly said, "Someone planted a bomb on the jet and it went off with enough time for me and Lizzie to escape unscathed, for the most part. I guess I should thank you for telling her to fuck off this morning."

"I don't care about your girlfriend," Jason said, "I care about what happened to my men this and I care about the fact that a friend of mine is in that emergency room with a whole lot of bullets in him. You weren't helping Elizabeth, you brought these assholes here."

"That's one thing I can assure you," Sly said, "My every intention was to bring Lizzie back with me but I had no intention of killing her. You're going to have to take that up with Alcazar."

"Who?" Jason asked, "Alcazar from Chicago? Elizabeth's from…"

"If you'd let her get a word in edgewise somewhere you might actually know the full story," Sly said, "But instead you sit up there on your goddamn mafia pedestal and look down on her like she's trash. She didn't mean for this to happen and as soon as she's finished getting checked out we're leaving, on our own terms and we're not going to owe a dime to anyone of you. You can have Corinthos' money back."

"Elizabeth isn't leaving town," Jason said, "Neither are you. The guards will make sure of that."

"You think I'm worried about these assholes?" Sly said, "I didn't get to where I am by being an idiot."

Jason snorted, "Fooled the hell out of me. Your fate will be decided depending on whether or not Sonny pulls through this. If he lives, I just might let her too, but either way you're a dead man for bringing someone else into our territory."

"You think you frighten me?" Sly asked with raised eyebrows, "You wanna take care of this right here, right now? At least they'll get a chance to pull the bullet out of your heart."

A slow, evil smile appeared on Jason's face, "I don't think you realize that you're in over your head."

"I think that your underestimating me," Sly spit out, "Come on, give me your best shot."

"Jason if you even think about raising a hand in this hospital I will call security myself and have you escorted out," Lily said as she came storming over towards him, "We are not here to start fights, you are here to get your head looked at and I want you to try and tell me no…"

"Lily…"

"Come on," Lily said grabbing him by the sleeve of his jacket and pulling him towards another room.

"Don't let him out of your sight," Jason said as he pointed to Johnny and Francis. He turned around in time to see Elizabeth emerge from a room, drinking something from a cup. He noticed her start to pale, start to shake when her eyes settled on him.

Good, he thought.

Pulling away from Lily he walked up to her, "I hope you're happy," he whispered as he leaned towards her, "Because all this rests on your shoulders."

Lily pushed Jason into the curtained room and came to stand in front of Elizabeth, taking her shaking hands from her, "You did not do this to my husband and I don't want you thinking that you did. I'll be out in one minute, I would like for you to wait with me while I wait for word on Sonny. Would you do that?"

"I want to," Elizabeth said quietly, "But I don't…"

"Sly's waiting for you," Lily smiled as she hugged Elizabeth tightly, "Thank you for being here when I first came in. I needed a friend and I'm glad it was you."

Elizabeth was left there standing dumbfounded, unable to believe that a woman as beautiful and as kind as Lily Corinthos truly existed.

"What the hell were you trying to prove?" Lily asked as she stormed into the area with Jason, yanking drawers open and slamming them shut, looking for bandage tape.

"I don't have to prove anything," Jason said, "She proved it all herself today with this shit. Who the fuck is that jackass with her anyway," he sighed as he rubbed the uninjured side of his head, "How is Sonny? How are you holding up?"

"That jackass is Lucky Spencer's cousin Sly Eckert and as we speak," Lily said throwing a roll at him, "My husband's life is pouring out of his body and instead being supportive and helping me through this you are picking a fight with people in the emergency room and yelling at Elizabeth who had nothing…"

"She brought this here, Lily," he said jumping up and then immediately regretting it, "Damn't…"

"That is what you get," Lily said helping him sit back down again. She frowned as she brought a cloth to his face and washed the blood from it, "Whether you or Sonny like it I consider Elizabeth my friend and because she made a mistake…"

"Mistake?" Jason scoffed, "I hate to see what you consider a real betrayal, ow, Lily."

"I'm sorry, is the tape too tight?" Lily asked and then sighed, looking down at her blood covered hands, "You haven't seen him Jason, he looks so pale, he looks like he's going to…"

"He's not," Jason said as he pulled Lily into his arms, wrapping her in his embrace, "He's not Lily he's going to make it and we're going to go after the bastard that did this."

"That's right," Lily said returning his hug, "The bastard that did this, not Elizabeth."

'I'd rather not talk about that right now," he said as he finished securing the bandage himself, "Do you have something I can take for the headache?"

"You should be checked in," Lily said quietly as she searched for some pills, "But I know how you are so I'm not going to fight you on it, just please, please," she whispered as she closed her eyes, "I'd like to have Elizabeth with me and I'd like to have you with me too, Jason, please."

Jason sighed as he ran his hand over his forehead and winced, "Fine, I guess I should be sitting down anyway. How are the kids?"

"Francis was checking on them," Lily said, "I'm sure he's heard something by now."

"Let's go see," Jason said.

"I don't like the look on your face, Lizzie," Sly said quietly as he slid his arm around her shoulder.

"It's over," she whispered, "It's time that I go back."

"Lizzie, we're so close…"

"Don't you see what I've done?" Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes tortured, "I caused this Sly and Lily, bless her heart, she's still defending me while her husband is lying in that hospital room, bleeding to death, with gun shots that were ordered by my husband who is looking for me," she sighed as she ran her hands over her face, "And Jason…"

"I don't want this for you," Sly said, "You deserve more than this, you deserve to live your life, you deserve to be free."

"I'll get that," Lizzie smiled sadly, "I'll be eighteen in a year. I'll be free then."

Sly slid his fingers through her hair as he pulled her closer, pressing his forehead against hers, "I don't know if you'll be alive by then Lizzie."

"Better me than them."

"Lizzie," Sly groaned in agony.

"It's over, for me, it has been for a long time," Elizabeth said as she stood up from her chair, watching Lily and Jason approach her, "How are you holding up Lily?"

"I'll be okay," Lily smiled as she took Elizabeth's hands, "Thank you for…"

"Code blue, we have a code blue in trauma one!"

"Sonny," Lily whispered as she moved away from Elizabeth and ran towards the double doors, "Sonny!"

Elizabeth watched in horror as Jason followed her, grabbing her around the waist and holding her against him as the nurses and doctors tried to work on her husband. They were holding pads of gauze against his wound, they were trying to give him oxygen, they were trying to restart his heart.

Stepping back and stumbling into a chair, Elizabeth blinked away the tears. She had done this, all of it and now it was time that she made things right. It all started out with one simple lie, assuming the role of an adult so she could work in a strip bar for two weeks, just two weeks.

Then she fell in love with an older man, then she met his best friends, then she became a part of their family and then she decided she didn't want to leave.

She waited too damn long and now had gone too far. Jason would never forgive her for the lies, Sonny, if he recovered, would never forgive her for the danger she brought to him, and the children and Lily, wonderful Lily, would love her because no one else did.

She looked at Sly as the tears rolled down her face, "It's time."

"Lizzie…"

"I'm going with or without you," Elizabeth said quietly as she watched Lily collapse in Jason's arms, "For the first time in my life Sly, I'm going to do the right thing."

Sly sighed as he slipped his arm around her waist, "And I'm going to do it with you."

Elizabeth walked past Francis and Johnny, the guards stepping aside to allow them through. She knew that Jason must have given the go ahead, otherwise they wouldn't have budge. She also didn't have to turn around to know that he was gazing at her; she felt his icy blue eyes boring into her back.

"I don't understand," Johnny said quietly to Jason as he watched one of the regular nurses come over to Lily and let her through the doors so she could be closer to Sonny as they tried to get him to start breathing again, "I thought we weren't letting them go."

"We aren't," Jason said dragging his eyes away from his friend's wife.

"But…" Francis started.

"I won't you both on her," Jason said motioning to Lily, "And make sure there are two guards on the kids."

"Should we ask where you're going?" Johnny asked.

"I'll be in contact," Jason said as he pulled on his leather gloves, "I'm going to be at one of the safe houses."

Francis had a feeling where this was going and he wasn't liking it one bit, "Jason, I don't think that Sonny would…"

"Someone is going to have to pay for this," Jason said, "And if it's Elizabeth Webber, so be it."


	21. Chapter 21

"Just call him now," Elizabeth said.

"Lizzie…"

"You've tried it the whole way over here and you can try it while you're forcing me to eat breakfast," Elizabeth said, "But I am not changing my mind Sly, get Luis on the phone and tell him that you found me and that you're bringing me back safe and sound. I want this stopped now."

Sly sighed, "I just wish…"

Elizabeth shoved him with her tiny hands and then reached into his pocket, digging for his cell phone, flipping through the numbers, "I'll do it myself."

"Give me the damn thing," Sly growled as he came upon Luis Alcazar's number and pressed the button on his phone to connect, "Yes, I have her. Yes," Sly said looking at Elizabeth warily, "She got your message."

Elizabeth sighed as she pressed her face in her hands. Luis was sending a message, that she was his wife and no one else was going to lay their claim to her. She understood him going after Jason, she just wasn't aware of why he attacked Lily and Sonny.

"Look, Luis, I…"

Elizabeth looked up when she heard a loud thump and saw Sly laying beside her on the ground. The loud scream that was ready to escape her mouth was caught in a large leather glove covered hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jason whispered in her ear, "Now bend down with me and pick the phone up."

She couldn't believe that she felt his gun pressed against her side but it moved with her as they crouched together on the ground and picked up the cell phone where Luis was shouting on the other end.

Jason grabbed it from her and pressed it against his ear, "I've got your wife and if you want her back I suggest you call off whatever game…"

Luis laughed, "_You think this is a game? You think I did this simply because of my whore of a wife? No, Elizabeth was the reason I had scouts in Port Charles but your lovely little coffee warehouse. That was me," _he chuckled, _"Introducing myself. I never realized how wonderful New York was for prime shipments._"

"She might have led you to this but she is the reason you're here in the first place," Jason said, "I know what she's like in bed and I'm pretty sure you don't want to let that go anytime soon so you call this whole charade off or else she's dead, within forty eight hours Alcazar."

Luis chuckled again, "_Jason Morgan, the enforcer with a heart. You would never kill an innocent woman stuck in the middle of a mob war._"

"See, that's where your wrong," Jason said as he pressed Elizabeth against him, his gun jamming into her side, causing her to whimper in pain, the sound traveling through the phone line, "Your Lizzie isn't innocent in all this. She threatened my place of business and almost got me killed. Innocent woman, no, I wouldn't kill one, Elizabeth Webber, I just might. Forty eight hours," he pressed the end button on the cell phone before tossing it into the murky water, "Let's go."

Elizabeth tried to struggle against him as he dragged her along the docks. She felt him hook his gun in the back of his pants as he grabbed her arms with one hand and kept his other placed over her mouth. She turned back frantic, trying to see if Sly was still alive, if he was even moving but Jason had managed to get her up the stairs and was pulling her into the back parking lot of Kelly's.

"You're boyfriend's fine, get the fuck in the car," he said yanking the door open to the dark colored sports utility vehicle and tossing her inside.

Elizabeth hit the seat with a thump as she watched Jason climb in after her. Max was already starting the car before Jason had closed the door behind him. She turned towards the door; her fingers frantic as she tried to push it open.

Jason laughed, "You think I'd kidnap you in a car you could get out of?"

She turned around and slapped him, her hand leaving a nice red impression that left her smiling. She wasn't fond of the smile that Jason was returning to her.

"I'm not in a very forgiving mood, Elizabeth," he said quietly, "I can assure you that you don't want to try that again."

"If you had just asked me I would have come with you," she huffed, "I was on my way to…"

"I don't care!" Jason shouted, "I don't care when you were planning on leaving town or what you were doing this morning or where you were going right now, I don't give a shit Elizabeth because of your actions Sonny's on his death bed, because of your actions I have one guard dead, because of your actions I was shot at today. And for what, just because you were getting kicks out of fucking a twenty eight year old man?"

"You are not the man I met," Elizabeth said as her lip quivered, "This is not the man who scoffed at me when I walked into the club looking for a job. I don't even know who is sitting across from me."

"This is the man you meet when you cross the people I love," Jason said, "This is me at work and you told me you accepted that, Elizabeth, remember? You told me that it was okay, that I killed people for a reason. I can see how that's changed since you're the one on the other end of the gun."

"You won't kill me."

"You sure about that?" Jason asked with raised eyebrows, "Because I was sure of something too, Elizabeth, I was sure that you would be the one person who didn't lie to me, the one person who I could look at and know that everything that was coming out of their mouth was the god's honest truth. So tell me Lizzie, are you really sure?"

"I'm sure that the man I love is sitting across from me," she whispered as a tear slipped from her eye and fell onto the leather seat, "He's buried down there somewhere beneath that cold façade you have going but I'm sure he's there."

Jason looked at her, laughing, his eyes holding no humor, "What the hell do you know about love? You're just a kid."

Elizabeth felt as if Jason had slapped her right back. That was how he was viewing her; as a child playing a dangerous game. She was no longer the laughable young woman who would make his day with one of her corny jokes; she was now a little girl who was in over her head.

And what made it hurt more was the fact that she brought it all on herself.

Turning away from him she pressed her head against the window, watching as the city disappeared, closing her eyes and trying to let the tears fall silently. Her shoulders started to shake and she had to press her hand over her mouth to quiet the sobs.

He watched her, his face set in stone as her tiny body quaked not five inches from him. He ached to hold her, ached to comfort her, ached to protect her like he promised that he would. But she didn't continue, that night in his penthouse when she told him how it all started, she didn't finish the story, she didn't add in the fact that she was sixteen and being with him was illegal, that being a part of his life would eventually bring them all down.

So he stopped thinking about himself and started thinking about Marco, started thinking about his best friend lying in a hospital room on his death bed. He needed to step up, he needed to put things into perspective, he needed to become the feared enforcer.

His bleeding heart didn't matter anymore.

"Your precious bike," Elizabeth snorted as she stormed towards the house in front of her. She noticed that a guard was standing by Jason's Harley Davidson, the motorcycle she heard so much about but never had a chance to ride on, "I fucked your brains out and never got a ride on that thing, wonder what he did to deserve it."

"He didn't lie to me," Jason said as he watched her shove the door open, "He didn't get a bullet aimed at my head!"

The only response he received was the slamming of the front door.

Elizabeth picked up a pillow from the nearest couch and threw it across the room, not satisfied when it hit a wall and did no further damage. If he wanted to be an asshole to her she would be one right back. She would turn into the bitch Lizzie Webber that took shit from no one and stood up for herself.

She just hated that she had to be that Lizzie Webber with Jason Morgan.

When she was with Jason she was able to be herself, she was able to do things that she hadn't done in a very long time like laugh and simply enjoy life. Now, she was back to square one, back to the day when she was pulled out of her innocent world and thrown into Luis Alcazar's.

Sighing she plopped on the couch and watched Jason give curt instructions to the two guards that were standing outside and she wished that she could take it all back. She didn't want to forget the memories that she had with Jason but she knew that if she had to do it all over again she would no longer be able to stay in town. She loved these people too much to let this danger happen to them.

But it was too late, she couldn't go back in time, she couldn't change what had happened and now she was stuck in a confined living space with a man that hated her for God knows how long. She wasn't even afford the company of another guard as she watched the two of them climb into the Excursion she was dropped off in and head back down the road, returning to where they came from.

Jason was turning back to the house, hesitating a moment before he moved forward, his fists clenched at his side, his face set in familiar stone façade and those delicious blue eyes blazing. He was ready to fight her and probably would until his last breath. She only wished that she could tell him it was useless. There was nothing he could say that could make her feel any worse than she already did.

Elizabeth hated her father for the life he led her into and now she was doing the same to the people that she loved.

Stepping up from the couch she presented Jason with her back when he came in. She made her way to the kitchen, determined to find something to eat, even if it were just a bowl of cereal. She had no idea that he planned on following her.

"Sonny is still clinging to life," Jason said, "Lily is refusing to leave his side and I'm sure you're sorry to hear that the children are safe and on their way out of town, away from you and the chaos you're brought into their world."

Elizabeth chose to ignore him and the barbs he was throwing at her; instead she pulled open the fridge and grabbed a fresh carton of milk. It was nice to know that they kept the safe house up to date; one never knew when a kidnapping would take place.

"And when Johnny walked in to check on her," Jason said as he walked closer to Elizabeth, so close he could smell the vanilla in her hair, "She asked about you Elizabeth, how you were handling things, were you okay?" he slammed his fist down next to her on the counter, causing her to jump, causing her to bump into him, causing that familiar jolt to course through both of their bodies, "How do you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Elizabeth asked as he grabbed her arms and turned her around, forcing her to face him.

"How the fuck do you get people to see things your way?" Jason asked, "I know how you did it with me, you fucked your way into my life but I want to know what story you sold to Lily to get her to want to care more about you than her husband."

"That is not true," Elizabeth said shoving at his chest, "Let go of me."

"Why? So you can tell more of your lies?" Jason asked, "What did you tell Sonny to convince me to get you out of town? And that kid," he snorted, "You pick him up on the corner somewhere and convince him to be your sugar daddy?"

"Jason, don't…"

"Maybe he's your new pimp, Elizabeth," Jason sneered, "Maybe you actually missed your old life…" he groaned and doubled over in pain when Elizabeth's knee connected with his groin.

"Don't you dare make assumptions about my life," she said glaring down at him, "You don't want to know the truth, you don't care to listen to what really happened to me," she turned around and grabbed a large knife from the knife rack, "And if you come near me again I will hurt you, I will cause you as much pain as your causing me."

Elizabeth stepped over his body, ignoring the flame in his eyes as she stomped her way down the hall, looking for the nearest room to lock herself into. Before she knew it, Jason was behind her, grabbing her arm once again, one hand still cradling his groin.

"You have no idea what pain is," Jason said, "You have no idea what it's like to watch your best friend die before your eyes, you have no idea what it's like to have one of your close friends, one of your guards die because of something that you unknowingly brought into this world, you have no idea…"

"You have no idea what it's like to be pushed up on stage and forced to dance in front of a bunch of strangers," Elizabeth said shoving him, throwing the knife to the floor, "You have no idea what it's like to have men touching you, caressing your breasts that you barely just discovered, you have no idea what it's like to have some forty year old man lay himself on…" Elizabeth chocked and stumbled back, "And you have no idea what it's like to hate someone you love so much."

She turned away, ran from him, into the first door she found and slammed it, quickly flicking the lock to try and prevent him from entering. She slid to the floor in a heap as her body started to shake again, overcome by the tears, the pain, the sadness that she brought on herself. She couldn't believe that she was grateful for landing in Port Charles, couldn't believe that she was glad she met Jason Morgan. She would never get through to him, there was no turning back, he must never have loved her because love simply didn't hurt this much.

Jason pressed his forehead against the door, sighing as he listened to her cry, listened as her body was racked with sobs. She said that he had no idea what it was like to hate someone that you love so much, he knew it, knew it all too well and he just wished that he could find someone to cross the line, to fix this because he wasn't sure how long he could take Elizabeth's tears.

"What's the status?' Luis Alcazar asked as he stepped off of his private jet and onto the red carpet beneath his feet. His plane was slightly delayed due to police activity around another airport regarding a bombing He couldn't help but smile at the warm welcome he seemed to be receiving.

"We're tracking them down now," he replied as he felt into step beside the most powerful man in all of Chicago, "It shouldn't be long before we find them, at the latest by tomorrow evening."

"Corinthos' condition?" Luis asked as he slid into the awaiting limo.

"It doesn't look good," the man said as he closed the door behind the both of them, "His wife was unharmed, a guard is dead and the children are on their way out of the country."

"The children are no concern to me," Luis said as he shrugged his shoulders, "That is, unless the tiny little one is a looker, maybe in about ten years, we'll see," he said with a grin, "Was Morgan even injured?'

"Head wound, slight graze, nothing big," he said as he gazed out the window through the tinted glass, watching as the miles were swallowed up between the airport and the city that lie ahead.

"He was still able to steal my wife," Luis said angrily, "And to think that he tried to make a deal," he laughed, "I will have Lizzie back as well as this territory and I will become the most feared man in this entire organization," he turned to the man beside him, "And you are the perfect person to help me accomplish that. Find them, kill him and if Lizzie doesn't want to come along willingly," Luis shrugged again, "Kill her too."

He turned back to him, his eyes glinting dangerously, "Yes, sir," Sly replied.


	22. Chapter 22

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Lily finish up the Spanish version of the cursing out he had just received in English. Sonny had arrived at his private island a little over an hour ago and was settled in with the doctors there. The children had already been deposited and were safely tucked away with their parents.

The organization was still very weak and Jason was notified before receiving Lily's phone call that Luis Alcazar had landed in the city and was now settling into the top floor of the Port Charles Hotel, his right hand man, his enforcer, Sly Eckert, was with him.

The burden was now solely placed on Jason's shoulders to make things safe once again.

"_Jason?_" Lily sighed frustrated, "_Jason, I know you are angry but this is ridiculous. This isn't Elizabeth's fault, she didn't…_"

"Lily, I don't want to hear this right now," Jason said, "I just want to know that you and Sonny and the kids are safe. Call me if anything else happens."

"_I swear to you if you hang up on me I will fly to wherever the hell you are Jason Morgan_," she yelled into the phone, "_I've had it. You and your wounded pride, you and your 'She did all of this' nonsense; Elizabeth was forced into her life. She was obviously running away from Luis Alcazar for a reason and you are seeing what that reason is, Jason. She didn't choose this life and she didn't choose for this to happen and it's about time that you wake up and realize that. She didn't set you up, she fell in love with you and she was afraid to tell you, for a good reason might I add, what was going on. Do what you're best at Jason, protect her, don't use her as a pawn in this…_"

"He's starting a war," Jason said quietly, "And she is my best chance at having that avoided."

"_Alcazar wants the territory as well as Elizabeth,_" Lily said, "_He is determined that nothing and no one is going to stop him. We've been up against this before and we've seen the consequences, someone always dies in the end._"

"It's not going to be me," Jason said as he moved down the hallway, realizing that he hadn't checked on Elizabeth in a while.

"_I don't want it to be Elizabeth._" Lily turned when she heard her children calling her, "_I have to go, I'll keep you updated on Sonny's condition. The doctors said that he's resting comfortably now but they're still unsure if there's going to be any long term effects._"

Jason squeezed his eyes shut as he came to stand before Elizabeth's door, "He'll be fine, Lily."

"_I hope you are too, Jason,_" Lily said quietly, "_Hasta luego._"

"Goodbye," Jason said as flipped his phone shut, sliding it into the pocket of his jeans. He didn't even bother to knock at Elizabeth's door, just turned the handle and pushed it open, surprised to find her room empty. He didn't think that she was stupid enough to try and escape.

He hurried back down the hall, heading towards the living room and kitchen. As he approached he noticed that the bathroom light was on and the door opened slightly. Knocking with his knuckles the door fell open more and he was startled to find Elizabeth standing in front of the sink, the medicine cabinet above it open and her hands filled with more pills than he could count.

"What the…"

"No, no," Elizabeth said shutting her fists around the Tylenol capsules and holding them against her chest. She tried to shove past Jason but his hands were gripping her arms, causing her to wince in pain, causing her hands to loosen on the pills. They scattered on the floor by her feet and she twisted away from him, bending down to pick them up.

Jason was right before her, slapping her hands away from the medication. Brushing them away with his fists, the sounds of her cries echoing in his ears, "Elizabeth, no."

"Why?" she asked shoving him, watching as he fell on his backside, "I heard you on the phone with Lily, I know what Luis is up to. He doesn't want just me anymore Jason. He's not going to settle for a trade so why do I have to go back there? Why!"

She scrambled over his body and ran towards her room, slamming the door shut behind her and flicking the lock to deny him entrance. She then plopped down on the bed, her blurry eyes scanning the room for something, anything that would end this pain. She let out a yelp when her bedroom door came crashing open with a booted kick.

"You are not taking the easy way out," Jason said as he advanced towards her, "Stop thinking it."

"You think this is easy?" she asked jumping up from the bed, "You think that my life has been something that someone else envies? I don't want it anymore and I'm only seventeen! Seventeen!" she shouted as she jammed her fists into his chest, "Tell me why it's not okay to want out of this world, tell me why it's not okay to want to end the past three years of misery. It's all gone Jason, my family, my friends, my freedom. I just went through this life motion by motion trying to find something to live for, something worth fighting for and then…then I fucked it up all over again and I see no point, no reason to go on." She closed her eyes and gave him a sad smile, "Tell Lily I love her and thank you for being there when no one else was."

Jason watched as she reached out to him. He thought that she was going to pull him into a hug and while part of him still wanted to deny it the other part wanted to hold her, keep her tucked away and tell her that he would never let anything or anyone hurt her ever again.

He never expected her nimble fingers to reach for his gun.

"No!" he yelled as he grabbed it from her, a shot firing off and hitting the wall beside them, burying itself deep in the concrete surface. He tossed the gun behind her on the bed and caught her in his arms before she had the chance to collapse on the floor.

He wasn't sure if it was the weight of her petite body, the weight he carried around on his shoulders or the weight that now seemed heavy on his heart but it was all too much for him, for the both of them, and they fell to their knees in the middle of the room; Elizabeth's heart wrenching sobs the only sound to be heard.

Jason didn't know how long they had been sitting there. Time had ceased the minute he walked into the bathroom and saw Elizabeth, that blank look in her eyes, that bottle of pills in her hand. He still hated to think about it, still hated to wonder what would have happened if Lily would have stayed on the phone with him a minute longer, if he decided that he would leave her alone for just a few more hours.

He knew that instead of sitting across the room from her on a carpeted floor, watching her piece her life back together, little bit by little bit, he would be burying her body somewhere.

He also knew that he was supposed to kill her, he threatened to kill her. She was his enemy; she was the one who brought all this upon him and his family, his organization. She should be the first one to go; she should be the one to pay. And he thought the he could do it, he thought that he hated her enough to be able to pull the trigger.

He was beginning to realize that the hate was simply covering up the love.

Watching her sit there, leaning against the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, saying nothing, doing nothing, looking at nothing, he knew that he was more likely to shoot himself than he was to harm Elizabeth Webber and he hated that because the danger, the betrayal, the lies were all still there.

"I met Sly when I was 14, well, I was going to be 14 that November," Jason heard from across the room. He couldn't believe that timid voice was coming from Elizabeth, the woman who loudly told Candy to keep her hands off of him.

"It was my first day of high school and I don't know how but I got a locker right next to a juniors locker," she smiled sadly at the memory, "And he just shut his and said to me, 'You look shy but your pretty cute so I'm gonna introduce myself.' It was like puppy dog love at first sight," she laughed as she wiped the tears from her face, "I told him that I was still adjusting to the beaches of California being from Colorado, he told me about this tiny little town he grew up in New York. He said it was too small to name. Then he told me that each one of his parents was murdered, then I told him I thought my mother was and we were inseparable. I think that's why he was with me because I wasn't…" Elizabeth closed her eyes and became quiet for a minute, "I wanted so much to be as pretty as the other high school girls that flirted with him, that had their hands all over him and if I had any idea that my wish was about to come true I would've…"

Jason ached to move, to crawl across the floor and pull her into his arms and quiet her. He knew this was going to be painful to explain, it was going to be painful for him to hear it but he needed an explanation as much as she needed to give him one.

"Sly was right, I was shy, we didn't get to second base until after a month of dating and that took a lot of coaxing, sex was a whole other issue," she said as she ran her fingers up and down her arms, "He didn't really pressure me but for my birthday he handed me a dozen roses at the end of the day, by my locker, in front of everyone with a card that said I love you," her eyes met Jason's, "So I gave in and I went too far, too fast," she sighed and closed her eyes again, "I missed a part, something that…" she licked her lips, "When Sly and I first started dating he impressed me with all the money he had and he asked me to stop by with him one day at his work so he could get his pay, his cash pay. He said that he worked at a club. I should've known right then, my instincts were telling me to run the other way especially when he introduced me to the man that was soon to be my future husband. I had no idea that at the time Sly was working for Luis Alcazar my father was also borrowing money off of him. When my father couldn't pay it back he offered me to Luis and I had to go back to the club that made my skin crawl, I had to wear skirts that barely covered my ass, I had to let men paw their hands all…"

Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh and ran her hands over her wet, tired face. She hated reliving this, hated the images that flashed through her mind, hated that instead of a bad dream it was all memories. She laughed as she removed her hands.

"Luis told me that I would never have to do anything that I was uncomfortable with. He told me that he hated that my father had to work his debt off this way but in the end things would have a way of working out. At first he was very nice. He let me work in the early evenings and even let me do my homework in his office. He said that school was very important for such a bright, beautiful woman like me," she laughed out loud and rolled her eyes, "I was so fucking naïve, I should've seen right through that."

Jason wanted to tell her that at the age of fourteen a young woman would believe practically anything that was told to her by a powerful business man. As the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together he was beginning to realize that she was as sucked into this world as he was. He never wanted to get out, she couldn't if she tried. So she put on a brave front and fought her way through it, easily turning into Lizzie Webber.

"After about two, three months, Luis started dropping hints that I would make more money stripping," she said, "He said it would pay my father's debt off quicker and that I'd only have to do one five minute dance a night. He was going to give me two weekdays off of my choice and I could leave immediately after my stint on the weekends," she laughed bitterly, "He told me that I could go out and be a normal teenager," shaking her head she continued, "I talked to Sly about it and he said that he didn't care, that he thought it would be sexy to see me up there making all those men cheer and hoot and holler. I had no idea that a real man would've knocked the first guy out that tried to touch me. Because they touched me, all over, and I use to think that was the worst part. I use to think…" she bit down on her lip, hard, until she felt blood, "For a year and a half I stripped, my hours becoming longer, my grades failing, watching Sly sleep with other woman, watching Luis become more interested in me. All that time I thought I was getting my father out of debt when he was just digging another hole. Luis told me that my father had gotten so far in he wasn't sure if there was anyway he could be repaid, then he did his usual smirk and told me that he had bought me something for my sixteen birthday."

Elizabeth's dull, lifeless eyes meet Jason's tortured blue ones, "A two karat diamond engagement ring with an interlocked wedding band."

Jason's mouth tried to work, he tried to form a coherent sentence but at that moment it didn't seem possible. His bleeding heart no longer bled for him but for the young girl that sat across from him, the young girl who was forced to grow up too fast.

"My father signed a consent form for me to marry Luis Alcazar," she snorted, "I was sold to a mobster and I had no idea at that time what it is he did, I just acted as a stripper. My father was assured that his debts would be cleared and I had no say in the matter. As I was forced to say 'I do' to Luis in front of a judge and Sly as one of our witnesses my father was being taken down to one of the wharfs where he was beaten to death and thrown into the same murky waters my mother was. I was never able to bury him properly because the next day Luis had us all packed and we were moving to Chicago to take over someone else's territory. That's when I started to get pawned off, I like to call it whored out," she said with a forced smile, "Luis would introduce me as his wife, explain that I was willing to do anything to make my husband's friends more comfortable around our organization. I had to do it, anything, everything, with men Luis' age, with enforcer's like Sly, with older don's who were in their sixties and soon people started to realize that I was up for grabs. If Luis okayed it anyone could fuck me. Some of those men even left money on the table in the morning."

Jason closed his eyes and remembered their first sexual encounter, him handing her the money. He knew that those were her terms of the agreement but he also knew that something had sparked between them and he knew that she would be back for more, without asking for money. He hated that he made her feel like the whore Alcazar made her out to be.

"I could only last six months in that life," Elizabeth said, "I was just slipping further and further into this black hole and no one was there to help me. Sly, while still my friend, had become more dedicated to Alcazar and was being handed his choice of women, Luis had no intention of letting me go or keeping me all to himself. I was dying inside, a little each day, and I knew that if I didn't get out of there soon…" her eyes found his gun which now rested beside his hand on the floor, "I didn't want to die, I still don't, I was just so lost, confused, empty, like I am now. I had to use what I knew to get here. I had to strip, I had to find some way to earn money to make it down to Florida, to make it out of this country, out of his reach."

Elizabeth sighed as her voice quieted, "I didn't mean to stop in Port Charles, Jason, I didn't mean to fall in love with you. I never intended for Luis to find me here, I never intended…" she looked away embarrassed, "To have my bag stolen, to have to screw some guy for a job and a hotel room. I never meant to stay any longer than necessary but fate kept intervening and I…" she licked her lips again, "Let me turn myself over to him, Jason," she whispered, "Let me try and end this madness by giving Luis what he wants, his wife back. You can stay here, I'll go back on my own."

For the first time since Elizabeth started her explanation Jason spoke, "No, Elizabeth, I'm not sending you back to Luis Alcazar."


	23. Chapter 23

Elizabeth buried further into the warm cocoon of her dream. She never wanted to open her eyes again. Jason was kissing her, really kissing her, kissing her like he first did when they got together and nothing was between them but the pure lust they felt for one another.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, allowing her tongue to run over his, familiarizing herself once again with every crevice in his gorgeous mouth. She flicked her tongue across those beautiful white teeth and sucked his bottom lip with both of hers. He always tasted delicious, whether he was fresh out from the shower or coming home after a hard days work. There was nothing as wonderful tasting as Jason Morgan. He was the epitome of a man's man and right now he was all hers.

Moaning as she slid her fingers down his back she arched her body against his, wanting to feel every inch of him, wanting to feel the heat that radiated off of his body. She wanted to feel what she was doing to him because she knew, no matter what he said; no other woman had ever made him feel this way.

Her birth certificate might claim that she was still a girl, but everything else about Elizabeth Webber was all woman.

His harsh panting was in her ear, telling her that he hated that he had to fight this, telling her that he was sorry he didn't listen to her sooner, telling her that he wished that she didn't have to live the life she led but he wasn't sorry that it brought her to him. He would never be sorry for that.

She wanted to touch him, make love to him, show him that she was sorry as well, for everything that she did, for everything that she didn't do, for not telling him sooner, for not loving him enough. She reached down between their bodies and undid the button on his jeans, smiling up at him, loving the way his eyes darkened, loving the way they narrowed as she slowly tugged down the zipper.

He was hers for the taking and she wanted to take him but this time she was going to let him lead. This time she was going to let Jason Morgan have whatever control he desired. She owed him that, that and so much more. Reaching inside his boxers Elizabeth wrapped her hand around his length and moved her hand up and down, unprepared for the primal growl that seemed all too real.

Pulling herself out from the foggy haze of her dream, Elizabeth's blue eyes snapped open to find Jason's startled ones staring back at her. She was naked in bed, he was poised on top of her, panting and her hand was still wrapped around him.

He scattered off the bed as if he had been burned, his chest still heaving, his body still hard as a rock as Elizabeth stared at her hands, her naked self before she pulled a sheet over her body. Jason stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door in his wake and leaving Elizabeth sitting there, alone, contemplating about how they went from barely speaking to naked in bed.

She remembered him telling her that he was not going to allow her to go back to Luis but she didn't remember falling asleep. The story must have been too much, story, she laughed to herself, her life must have been too much for the both of them and somewhere in the middle of the night they probably just collapsed from the burden of it all.

She was sure that he had put her in bed, he probably was too tired to seek his own and just stayed there with her, watching over her, as he had been since she had first laid eyes on him, her own angel, always making sure that she was alright. Then it must have happened, their dreams must have merged and they came together in a heated moment wanting what they both knew they couldn't have.

She was so relieved that Jason still wanted her. It made her feel a little better that this wasn't simply one sided, a little girl lusting after an older man that she knew she could never have. And that's how it was always going to remain. Elizabeth was always going to lust after Jason. The feared enforcer of the Port Charles mob wouldn't be caught dead bedding someone under the age of eighteen.

Elizabeth only wished that her husband, the feared mob boss of Chicago, felt the same way.

"I need an update."

Johnny's eyebrows rose, "_Jason? Are you alright?_"

"I'm fine," Jason said through gritted teeth as his fingers gripped the counter top, "I called to ask for an update."

"_Is everything okay?_" Johnny asked again, "_You sound out of…_"

"Has Alcazar made any sudden moves since I've been gone?" Jason barked as he fisted his hand in his hair. He had to focus, he had to control himself and keep mind on what was at hand and not on the naked girl in the bedroom.

"_No,_" Johnny said, "_He hasn't made any sudden moves. He has people positioned throughout the city. Some people are starting to get nervous but Alcazar hasn't made a move. He set himself up in the Hotel and both him and that kid are still there._"

"Got anything on the kid?" Jason asked, "Anything we can use?"

"_He's Spencer's cousin,_" Johnny said, "_But he left town years ago and hasn't had any contact with them since he's been here. I don't think it's a good idea to drag them into this._"

"I wouldn't," Jason said, "I'm not Alcazar. I'm not holding anyone's family over their head," he sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face.

Johnny was silent for a moment, "_Do you know what you're going to do when the forty eight hours are up, Jason?_"

Jason looked at the clock and realized that there wasn't much time left. The hours seemed to tick by when he was sitting in a room with Elizabeth, the silence stretching between them after she told him about her cruel life. He never wanted to hand her back over to Alcazar; he didn't think that anyone, let alone a young girl, should be subjected to the kind of inhumane conditions she was living with. On the other hand, Elizabeth could be the only key to avoiding a mob war, one that was started because she stayed in town too damn long.

"_Jason,_" Johnny cleared his throat, "_Jason, I'm sorry but I think we should disconnect this call," he waited another few seconds before he continued; "Did you make a choice?_"

"There is no choice," Jason said as he slammed his cell phone shut and abruptly ended the call. He tossed his cell phone on top of his motorcycle helmet and stormed back down the hallway, towards the room he exited a few minutes ago, the roomed that housed Elizabeth Webber, "Let's go," he barked in the doorway.

"Where are we going?" she asked, still holding the sheet up against her body.

"Time is almost up and although Alcazar is safely tucked away in the city I don't trust him not to make a move," Jason said as he came into the room and picked his shirt up off the floor, pulling it on over his head, "Get dressed, we have to go."

"Jason, I don't think that this is a good idea," Elizabeth said, "Just let me…"

"I told you that you weren't…" he sighed and turned around, leaving the room, which in turn made Elizabeth furious.

She threw her clothes on and hurried after him, watching as he threw whatever supplies and money he could into the bag that would fit on the back of his motorcycle. He then checked his gun and grabbed his Swiss Army Knife, shoving it in his jeans pocket.

"You know this is crazy," she said as he handed her the motorcycle helmet, sitting down on the couch to quickly tie his boots, "There is no place we can go that he won't find us."

"Wanna bet?" Jason asked, "I'm going to take you someplace safe until I can get the city back under control."

Elizabeth shook her head, "You are trying to avoid a war Jason and that is impossible. If you try and show up in Port Charles without me Alcazar will kill you, no questions asked."

"Than he'll kill me," Jason said as he opened a closet door and tossed a coat to Elizabeth. He then reached inside the helmet and grabbed his cell phone, "Ready?"

"No!" Elizabeth said, "I am not ready to leave when you're standing here telling me that you're okay with walking into a death trap."

"Alcazar won't have Lily," Jason said as he put the jacket on her himself, "He won't have the kids and he won't have Sonny," he adjusted the jacket and looked at her, reaching up to brush a strand of brown locks from her face, "And he won't have you, Elizabeth."

"Jason…" she whispered softly as she tried to reach out to him but he grabbed her hand and started pulling her out the door. It took him only a few seconds to attach his bag to his bike and then he was adjusting the helmet on her, making sure that it fit her properly.

"Climb on and hold on tight," Jason said as he threw his leg across the hog and Elizabeth slid onto the back of the bike, wrapping her tiny arms around him, arms that not fifteen minutes ago doing wonderful things to his body. "I'll try not to drive to fast but let me know if…"

His words were cut off by an explosion behind him and Elizabeth and Jason turned to see a part of the house, the kitchen to be exact, burning before their eyes. The flames were quickly leaping through the wood structure and Elizabeth knew that once again Alcazar had found them. Turning back to Jason she shrieked when he started the engine and the motorcycle went racing down the dirt road, bullets flying at them.

She wanted to tell him to stop, she wanted to tell him to let her off and let her end this right now but she knew that even if she turned herself in Jason was still a dead man and her main objective was to keep him alive. So she pulled back from him, reached into the waistband of his jeans and pulled out his gun.

"Elizabeth, what are you…"

"Evening the odds," she said, her voice muffled through the helmet and she turned back, firing blindly and the bastards who dare try to kill them. She felt satisfied when she watched a bullet pieced through the window of a car that was about to turn on the road to pursue them. It swerved out of control and crashed down into an embankment.

Amidst the smoky haze Elizabeth saw a lone figure standing by a sleek black Cadillac. His arm was up close towards his face as if he were speaking to someone through a cell phone. She watched as a driver stepped out from the car and turned towards him. She couldn't see anything else as they were too far down the road, Jason was speeding away and for now it looked as if no one were following them.

She knew that wasn't true, she knew that there would be no place to hide because Sly Eckert was on their trail and he was going to find them.

"Not successful," Sly said into the cell phone at his ear and shook his head when the driver of the car asked if they were going to be pursing the young woman and her male kidnapper, "It looks like we lost about four, you wife seems to know her way around a gun."

"_You taught her well,_" Luis laughed softly into the phone, "_Do you think there is anything in the house that will be usable?_"

Sly looked at the burning building, the flames now engulfing the full structure, "It looks like a typical safe house. I don't think there's going to be anything of use in there. You want me to wait around for the firemen to get out here and take care of this thing?"

"_No,_" Luis said shaking his head, "_No we've wasted too much time already._"

Sly looked back towards the road, the cloud of dust made by Jason Morgan's motorcycle was no longer visible to him, "I'm not sure it was such a good idea making a move before the forty eight hours was up. What if he had planned to turn her over?"

"_Are you questioning me?_" Luis barked into the phone, "_I want Morgan dead, whether or not he turns her over._"

Sly rolled his eyes and then ran his hand over his face, "Let me just make a suggestion. You know how to trap a man Alcazar, you're good at what you do, that's why you are where you are."

"_I'm listening,_" Luis growled into the phone.

"Your wife wasn't kicking and screaming when Morgan dragged her out of the house."

"_Are you implying that they're on good terms again?_"

"They might be," Sly said as he climbed back into the car and motioned for the driver to continue down the road that Elizabeth and Jason had just taken.

"_It seems as if my wife has just become bait,_" Luis laughed.

Jason stood in the shower and let the hot water scorch his body. He could feel that someone was following him but he also knew that no one was as familiar with this area as he. He would be able to keep Elizabeth safe for a little while longer. He just had to get her to an airstrip, had to get her to Sonny's island where no harm would be done.

He didn't know when that decision was made. It was somewhere between the shootout and the moment they stepped into the hotel. He knew that he had to keep her safe; he knew that getting her out of the country was the way to do it; he just didn't know how he was going to let her go.

Sonny always made it look so easy when Lily had to go to the island, hell when she had to step out of his view for a moment when danger surrounded them but Jason didn't realize how hard it was. He wasn't aware that it was like tearing your heart out to watch the person you love live your sight, to allow someone else to protect them because you are unable to.

He also didn't realize how much he still loved her.

He thought it would be easy to let it go. She had betrayed him, she was underage, these were not qualities he would choose for a woman he wanted to be with yet he still wanted to be with her. He wanted to stay in bed with her a few hours ago and finish what they started. He wanted to wake up with her tomorrow morning and tell her that everything was going to be okay, that he trusted her, that they would find a way to be together, that it would all work out in the end.

He didn't trust her, they couldn't be together and he was just trying to get out of this mess alive.

Elizabeth pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin against them. She could hear Jason still in the shower, he disappeared into the bathroom over twenty minutes ago and she wasn't sure if he was avoiding her or just needing to be on his own. Whatever it was she was grateful for the reprieve. This time alone had given her the time to think, the time to make a decision and to choose which path to take.

She knew that if asked Jason would help her escape, he would help her fulfill the dream of running away from Luis Alcazar and keep her tucked away safely until the chaos around her subsided, chaos that she had caused.

That was why she wasn't asking, she wasn't allowing Jason or Sonny or Lily or any of them to take her out of this equation. She made her bed, now it was time for her to lie in it. Wiping the remaining tears from her face she wished for the millionth time that things had been different, she wished that she would've been able to settle down and spend the rest of her life with Jason Morgan.

She reached across the nightstand and picked up the hotel phone, dialing the number nine, then one, then the area code then the phone number that she had memorized so many years ago. Sighing, she closed her eyes and felt the tears start to fall again.

"_Alcazar._"

"Hello baby, I'm ready to come home."


	24. Chapter 24

"_Elizabeth my dear,_" Luis smiled into the phone, "_I'm very, although pleasantly, surprised to hear from you_."

"Somehow I doubt that," Elizabeth said, "After all you were the one who sent Sly after me were you not? I'm surprised I don't hear disappointment in your voice at that fact that I escaped the bombing unscathed. That's twice now, Luis. I think that comes under the heading of 'Spousal Abuse.'"

Luis frowned, "_The bomb was delayed on the plane. It was supposed to go off before you even set foot in the damn hanger as for Sly trying to murder you now, Lizzie; if you would have just come quietly there wouldn't have been a problem._"

"You talk about murdering me as you would order a sandwich," Elizabeth said through gritted teeth, "I'm afraid that I'm not as ready to come home as a I thought."

"_You are coming home, Lizzie,_" Alcazar barked into the phone, "_Whether you like it or…_"

"I am willing to come home. I know that you want me by your side, Luis," she said, "Like a good wife should be but you taught me that we might have to sacrifice one thing to get another."

"_What are you getting at?_"

"I have conditions," Elizabeth said, praying that Jason would stay in the shower a little bit longer, "Leave Port Charles, abandon whatever you have in mind for this city and I'll go anywhere you want, do anything that you want, be anyone that you want," she angrily brushed at the tears on her face, "I will seduce anyone that you want."

Luis laughed, "_You think that you have a choice in any of this, Lizzie?_"

"You can have a willing wife or you can have one that will fight you on everything that you do, Luis," Elizabeth said, "I can strip for you willingly, I can come to your bed willingly and I can seduce any man you want me to willingly. It wouldn't look too good for your business partners if I were to kick and scream the whole way through."

"_Does Morgan mean that much to you?_" Luis asked quietly.

"Lily Corinthos and her children mean something to me," Elizabeth said, "I'm trying to save innocent lives here. I can also promise you yours, Luis. If you leave Port Charles with me, we can go anywhere in the world together, rein supreme over someone else's territory and I'll be at your beck and call," she shuddered as she purred into the phone line, "You remember how it was, Luis? You remember that special way I use to…"

"_If you meet up with Sly in an hour, I will consider leaving New York._"

"I want your word," Elizabeth snapped, "You consider a lot of things but in the years that I have known you, you have never gone back on your word."

"_I don't know what the hell I ever saw in you. You're nothing but a spoiled brat, indulged by your father's riches when the gambling was in his favor," he snarled and then laughed, "Ah Lizzie, I'll give you my word. As soon as you are back in my arms we will leave this dreaded place and start anew. But be warned, sweet Elizabeth, you will be spending the rest of your days making up for what you have caused me to lose here._"

"I'll make sure you'll never think about Port Charles again," she whispered before hanging up the phone and standing up, visibly shaking. She didn't have much time as the shower just turned off and she could hear the bathroom faucet running before that stopped as well. She grabbed her shoes, her purse and the notepad and pen that sat on the cheap hotel desk.

She scribbled a quick note to Jason and took one last look around, making sure that she didn't forget anything, making sure that the only reminder of her in this place was the note telling him goodbye. Elizabeth turned and reached for the doorknob, running out of the room in her bare feet and far away from the man she loved so much.

Elizabeth walked up to the black car and opened the door, stepping inside as she smacked her gum and watched Sly motion for the man to continue driving. He then activated the glass window that Luis had installed on all of his cars so there was privacy between man and servant. Sly turned back towards Elizabeth and winced when he saw the fire blaze in her eyes.

"I would ask how you knew where to find me," Elizabeth said as she threw her purse down next to her, "But I assume that you just went searching for the first hooker corner?"

"Lizzie, that wasn't..."

"I know how you think asshole, that's why I was here," she said glaring at him, "And you know what Sly? I'm not mad, not one little bit, because I knew what you were all along."

"Lizzie, really, I was trying to protect you," Sly said, "This isn't how it looks…"

"It was all about the sex and the power," she said leaning closer to him, "And you took what you could get from me and that satisfied you enough until Luis handed you more and more and more until he filled your head with so much bullshit your now knee deep in it," she laughed as she leaned back against the leather seats, "But I'm fine with it, Sly, really I am, because I would have done the same thing had I been in your position."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean Lizzie?"

"If I had an option to keep my job or kill you, I'd definitely shoot you, balls first!" she yelled.

"I know you don't believe a god damn word I'm saying to you, Lizzie girl, but I'm going to protect you until my dying breath," he said, "I couldn't do that three years ago and I obviously am doing a shit ass job of it now since I allowed you to be kidnapped by Morgan but I'm going to step up to the plate, I'm going to take care of you."

"You're right," she said looking away from him, not wanting him to see her tears, "You had your chance and you blew it, then, now. It's over Sly, there's no longer anything between us. No friendship, no nothing," she looked backed at him, her blue eyes watery and pained, "I hope you rot in hell with Luis."

Jason was just finishing towel drying his hair when he heard the phone ringing from out in the room. He secured the other towel around his waist and hoped that Elizabeth had the good sense not to pick it up. Dropping the one towel to the floor and hurrying into the room he was surprised to find Elizabeth nowhere in sight.

"Yeah?"

"_It's me, Jason,_" Johnny said, "_There's activity going on at the hotel. It looks like Alcazar is packing up and moving out of Port Charles. I haven't seen Eckert anywhere but Alcazar is directing things._"

Jason noticed the note that had fallen to the floor when he made a grab for his cell phone. He flipped it open and recognized Elizabeth's penmanship, "That doesn't surprise me. In fact Johnny," he said crumbling the note in his fist, "I'm sure that within the next day or two we'll be able to bring Sonny home and everything will return to normal."

Johnny cleared his throat, "_You should be happy about that._"

"I am."

"I'm here," Elizabeth said as she was ushered into Luis' suite with Sly in tow, "Let's go."

"My dear," Luis laughed, "Have a seat, Sly is exhausted. He's been all over the state looking for you. Let him catch his breath. A scotch Sly?"

"No, he doesn't want anything to drink," Elizabeth said, "He wants to go. I'm surprised you don't have everything packed and ready by now, Luis. After all you've won; you killed my mother, my father and now me. Tell me, before we go, was there something that my family did to yours or did you just latch onto my father because you were bored?"

"Sweet Elizabeth," he whispered as he walked towards her, his fingers trailing down her smooth cheek, "From the moment I laid eyes on you, before you had even turned fourteen I knew that you were going to be such a delicate beauty. Your overwhelming innocence was simply breathtaking and I couldn't resist you, I knew that I had to have you for my own." He shrugged, "I merely made sure that once your father was indebted to me he was never to get out. And," he said nodding towards Sly, "I made sure that my apprentice was occupied elsewhere when the day came that I was to marry you."

"You wanted me every since I was child?" she whispered, holding onto her stomach, feeling as if she were ready to be sick.

"That was in the past, Lizzie," he smiled as he leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on her cheek, "Everything is going to work out fine now, just fine. You are going to have my children, we are going to raise a happy family together and then we'll settle down, finding another spot to wreak absolute havoc." He pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her forehead, "You made a wise decision, sweet Elizabeth, very wise indeed."

"I want one last phone call before we leave this wretched place," she said her eyes meeting his, "In private."

Luis nods, "I can accommodate that. Stay with her Sly," he laughed as he excited the room, making sure that the door was locked behind him.

Elizabeth walked across the room to the hotel phone and picked it up, chewing on her lip a minute, trying to remember the number that she called a few times in the past, when she needed help, when she needed someone to have lunch with, when she needed to whine about the bastard that was Jason Morgan.

"_O'Brien._"

She smiled and couldn't help but respond tearfully, "Webber."

"_Elizabeth?_"

"Don't…don't talk," she said quietly, "Just listen to what I have to say. I need to you pass a message on for me. I want you to call Lily, I want you to tell her that everything is going to be alright, tell her that I fixed things, that I'm going to be okay and that I…I love her, I love her for being the one person that never gave up on me. Do that for me, Johnny, please?"

"_Eliza…_"

Elizabeth gently placed the phone back on its cradle and ignored the shadow that was in front of her. Sly Eckert, hovering, his warm hand placed on her shoulder. She didn't want to lean on him, she didn't want to lean on anybody but she couldn't help but fall into his arms when he offered the one thing she needed most; comfort.

Jason sat on the bed, staring at the note in front of him, running his hands over his face. He had told her that he wouldn't allow it; he had told her that he would handle things but she still left, she still sacrificed herself for the people that she claimed to love, just like her note said.

_In your mind I'm a child but in your heart you know that I will never love another as I have loved you. I'm setting things right for you, Jason Morgan, so that maybe one day you can tell your grandchildren about your stripper friend who turned your world upside down._

_Elizabeth_

Jason stood up from his place in bed, tucking the note inside of his pocket and glanced around, making sure that he had everything and there was no visible evidence of anyone ever being in this room.

His gun was slipped in the front waistband of his jeans; his secondary was strapped around his ankle. He had a spare knife along with the Swiss Army in case he needed it. The small bag that he brought was packed, some ready cash was in his back pocket and his keys were in his hand. It was time to leave.

Just as he was grabbing his cell phone it started to ring and when he flipped it open he found that the caller identification was unavailable. Taking a chance, hoping that this could be Elizabeth he pressed the accept button.

"Morgan."

"_What happened?_" Lily cried on the other end, "_Johnny just called me and told me that Elizabeth called him rambling on about how everything is going to be alright, that she fixed things and that she loved me. Jason, please, don't tell me that…_"

"She turned herself over to Alcazar," Jason said, "She did it for you."

"_No!_" Lily yelled, "_What are you doing about this Jason?_"

Jason smirked, "What the hell do you think I'm doing about it Lily? I'm going to get her."

He flipped his phone shut again, stepped out of the hotel room, secured his bag onto his motorcycle, along with the spare helmet that was Elizabeth's and hopped on his bike, destination, Port Charles, New York.

"It's beautiful here isn't it?" Luis asked as he and Elizabeth came to stand by the fountain in the park, "At night, it's so serene," he smiled at Sly who was behind them, shifting nervously, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Why did you bring me here?" Elizabeth asked, "You told me that we were leaving town immediately. I didn't want a walk through the park."

"Lizzie, it doesn't seem like you're doing everything that I want," Luis said.

Elizabeth huffed and looked the other way. She didn't know how she was going to spend the rest of her life like this. Her skin was crawling with the fact that Luis was walking around holding her hand. She couldn't imagine going home with this man and actually sleeping in the same bed with him, not when she had a man like Jason Morgan to compare him to, a man that loved her thoroughly and showed her what it was like to be made love to.

He was the reason she was doing this, he was the reason she was going to suck it up and deal with it. She was saving his life and nights with Luis was something she was just going to have to accustom herself to. She did it before and she was going to do it again.

"Have you ever been to this park dear?" Luis asked as he looked around, "This spot looks hauntingly familiar."

Elizabeth glared at Sly, "I don't remember."

"Surely you must," Luis said, "Why isn't this the spot you had an argument with Mr. Morgan about whether or not you really deceived him? And I'm wondering if, standing there in the bushes now, Mr. Morgan is remembering too. I wonder if he's wishing that he should've listened to you then instead of standing here now surrounded by guards with guns pointed at every inch of his body."

Jason stepped out of his hiding place from the bushes and walked closer to Elizabeth and Alcazar, Sly was now standing directly beside Alcazar, his gun in plain view.

"You think I didn't know this was a trap?" Jason asked as he stopped a few feet from them, "My guards were made aware of this and I can assure you that everyone of them is on everyone of your guys, except for the kid," he said motioning to Sly with his head, "I can handle him and you."

"Jason, no." Elizabeth said moving towards him only to wince when Luis gripped her hand tightly, holding her in place.

"My dear, I believe you have forgotten where your place was."

"Elizabeth is a smart girl, she doesn't forget a lot of things," Jason said, "And you're a smart man too, Alcazar, smart enough to get out of Port Charles before anything drastic happened. I'm glad that you realized leaving was the best thing for you. I'm also glad to be the one to tell you that you're going to be leaving without Elizabeth."

Luis laughed as he pulled Elizabeth tighter up against him, "Do you think I'm an idiot, Morgan? I would never leave Port Charles. This place is a gold mine in shipments and to give it up over some insipid little girl who stupidly fell in love with the wrong man. That's ludicrous. No, Morgan, this was all a ploy because Sly made me aware that you were thinking with your heart instead of your head and now you have to pay for it."

"You lied to me," Elizabeth said as she tried to pull away from Luis, I trusted you, you bastard. I should've never believed you. You lying, piece of…"

"Shut up!" Luis roared as he slapped her hard across the face, "I've had enough out of you."

Jason started to move forward but Sly raised his gun and Jason stopped, watching as Elizabeth pressed her hand against her injured cheek, watching as Luis pulled out his own gun and aimed it at Jason's heart.

"You both are fools," Luis said, "I am crazy about dear Lizzie but love has no place in this organization. Whores like her will come and go but now that she's back with me I'm going to keep her around for a while and I'm going to keep your head on my mantle to remind this bitch that she's never to run from me again. I'm going to show her what a real man is like, Morgan, right after I make this territory mine."

"Over my dead body," Jason said between gritted teeth as he moved one step closer.

"That'll be my pleasure," Luis said cocking his gun, "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Morgan. I'll see you in hell."

Elizabeth watched in horror as Luis caressed the trigger on his gun and she went from being Luis Alcazar's wife to Jason Morgan's lover. She pulled away from the man that tortured her for the past three years and jumped in front of the man that had shown her what real love was.

She heard the shot, felt something sear her body, felt herself collapsing to the grass beneath her, heard the screaming, heard more shots, then felt the warm blood as she touched the dull ache around her stomach. She was surprised when her hands came back filled with blood. Then the red slowly started to turn to black and she felt nothing more.

Jason dropped to his knees before her, watching as Elizabeth's hand fell limply from her stomach and onto the dewy ground beneath her. Her breathing was becoming more shallow and he was helpless as he watched her eyelids flutter closed.

Sly dropped down beside her and looked at Jason with terror in his eyes, "What the hell do we do?"

"Call 911," Jason said quietly as he removed his leather jacket from his body and laid it over Elizabeth's lifeless form. He then stood up; reached for the gun in his waistband, the one he never had a chance to pull before and walked over to the groaning body of Luis Alcazar. He aimed the gun between Alcazar's eyes and stood above him, a sadistic smile on his face, "I'll see _you_ in hell."

Then he pulled the trigger.

Jason turned away from the man, watching as Johnny and Francis came crashing through the bushes towards them.

"The cops are circling the park; they're going to be here any minute. Oh my God." Francis whispered when he saw Elizabeth's body.

Jason could do nothing, for once in his life he was helpless, unable to save or protect the one that he loved, watching as her last breaths were released from her body, watching as Sly leaned towards her, trying to find some kind of pulse. He didn't realize that he was falling to the ground, he wasn't aware that he was on his knees until Johnny and Francis were trying to hoist him up. The only pain that he felt was in his heart, as if someone were trying to reach in and rip it from his chest.

Nothing, he could nothing, nothing more than let the tears fall from his eyes as a primal scream was torn from his throat.

"Elizabeth!"


	25. Chapter 25

Jason stood with his back towards the closed door of Elizabeth's hospital room. He was afraid to move forward and afraid to move back. The monitors that surrounded her pale body let off a distinctive beep as an oxygen tank breathed life into her through a plastic mask that was secured over her face.

He knew that it was all over and yet he had a feeling that some things had only just begun.

The police had swarmed the scene and an ambulance arrived not a minute later, technicians running through the park with a backboard and their kits, trying to figure out the status of the young woman lying on the grass by their feet. Mac was yelling questions in his ear, Sly was holding Elizabeth's hand telling her that it was going to be okay and Francis and Johnny were busy just trying to hold him upright.

In one moment he had gone from questioning his feelings for her to knowing that there was no other woman, or girl, for him.

As her blood soaked into the ground beneath her, as she faded from this earth he realized how stupid he had been. All he had to do was sit down and listen, all he had to do was let her explain but he wasn't man enough to do that, he had to push her away before he was hurt any further, he had to push her out of his life and let her deal with her own chaotic one.

He was afraid to help her, he was afraid to care for her, he was afraid to love her because she was only seventeen.

Now, she was knocking on death's door, waiting to see if it was the Lord or the Devil answering on the other end. She was so close to giving up on the precious thing called life and Jason couldn't say that he blamed her. What other choice did she feel that she had? Her parent were murdered, the one true friend she thought she had betrayed her for a husband she never wanted and the one person that she carelessly fell in love with was ready to turn her over to keep this city safe.

He should've been keeping her safe, he should've been protecting her, he should've made sure she was on that island with the people he considered his family because that's what she was to him, she was his family and damn she was so much more.

She was the reason he was getting up in the morning with a smile on his face, she was the reason that he was taking Francis' and Johnny's playfully teasing with a laugh, she was the reason he now had a running tab at Kelly's diner and she was the reason he kept on breathing.

He was more careful at work, he took extra precautions so he could make it home to her and find out what menu item she ordered for dinner. He gave up more shots in pool so she could think that she beat him only to find out that he let her win. He bought gallons of chocolate milk just so he could lick the mustache off of her face and there was nothing as enjoyable as doing the accounting bills when she was curled up in his lap, pointing out any numbers he might have missed.

She watched the games with him, she drank beer with him, she even involved him a few pillow fights that he would never admit to. Showers had never been more fun and hell; Elizabeth even made something out of cleaning up the apartment. The tiny being lying lifeless on the bed before him had wormed her way into his heart and buried herself there until it was impossible for him to dig her out.

None of it mattered anymore, her past, her life style, the danger that she brought upon them, the lies that tore them apart. She was no longer a mob moll, she was no longer a stripper, she wasn't a woman, she wasn't a girl, she was Elizabeth, just Elizabeth, the woman he loved more than he cared to admit.

Taking a small step towards her and then another and then another, Jason reached out for a small stool a few feet away and pulled it beside her bed, sitting down on it and reaching for her hand. He picked her cold fingers up in his warm hand and stared at them, looking so weak, looking so pale. He curled them around his own hand and pulled it up against his cheek, closing his eyes and sighing softly.

For the first time ever, Jason Morgan prayed.

"Were you ever going to tell me that you were back in town?"

Sly looked up from where his head was resting in his hands and gave his Aunt Bobbie a small smile, "I wasn't planning on staying and I knew that if I dropped by Kelly's you'd keep me there until I fattened up."

"Something like that," Bobbie smiled softly as placed a hand on his shoulder and motioned to the chair next to him, "Do you mind if I sit?" She watched as Sly shook his head and then made herself as comfortable as she could in the hospital chair next to him, "Is she a very good friend of yours?"

Sly laughed, a bitter hollow laugh, "Don't ask Lizzie that." he sighed as he ran his hands up and down his wet face, "I went through a shitty time in my life. I was so fucked up…" he looked over at her with an apologetic grin, "I'm not use to being in the midst of real ladies, I'm sorry for my language."

"Sly, I've heard worse, I've said worse," Bobbie smiled as she took his hand and squeezed it, "Go on."

"Lizzie kinda just showed up in my life when I needed a friend," Sly smiled softly, "She was this little thing that was weighed down by a bunch of books and she just dropped them right by my locker. I took one look at her; one look into those blue eyes," he laughed, "A man was lost instantly. And she knew, she got it, she…she experienced the same things that I did and it was like, it was like she understood and she was more than just another girl, she became one of my best friends," he laughed bitterly again, "And I fucked it up, I threw away what she gave me and I watched her down spiral into something, someone that I didn't know and I let her, I let her Aunt Bobbie," he blinked away the tears in his eyes, not bothering to wipe them away as they slipped down his cheeks, "Now she's dying and she'll never know what she's done for me, how much she means to me."

"She's not dying," Bobbie whispered as she pulled him into a hug, "Sly she's hanging on, I don't know how but this girl has got such a grip on life. She's not going anywhere anytime soon. You have to believe that, you have to be strong for her."

"I will," Sly said pulling away from his Aunt, "I will because when she wakes up I'm going to make up for whatever I did to her, I'm going to show her just how sorry I am. Lizzie changed my life and that's what I'm going to do for her. I'm going to make it better. I'm going to show her just how much she means to me."

"I knew that you will," she said as she stood up and pulled him to his feet, "I think that it's time you get something to eat or at least, get some coffee. You haven't moved since she was brought in here late last night, Sly."

"I'll go," Sly said as he stood up and stretched, "But it's my treat and because I know you won't quite bothering me until I'm well fed."

"It's black."

Jason raised his eyes to the voice above him and saw Sly Eckert standing there in the hallway, coffee cup held out in his hand. Jason blinked and watched him shrug.

"I drink it black so…" he cleared his throat, "Lizzie on the other hand drinks everything chocolate."

Jason took the cup in Sly's hand and sighed, closing his eyes as he thought about the young woman in the hospital room all alone having not yet woken up from her unconscious state. He still wasn't made aware of her condition but he knew enough to know that if she didn't wake up soon, that was not a good sign.

Sly had settled down beside him quietly, sipping the hot murky liquid from his own cup, watching the enforcer across from him. It had been hours since they had come rushing in here and yet to him it felt like days, days since the police interrogated them with the events of that evening, days since Luis Alcazar's corpse was rolled down to the morgue, days since Elizabeth's tiny form disappeared into the emergency room doors. Days had really only been five hours, thirty nine minutes and forty five seconds.

"She actually put that in her soda once."

Sly looked over startled, surprised that those words came from Jason's mouth.

"I remember sitting there, our usual number from Kelly's in front of us and she grabs this bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup from the fridge," Jason shook his head with a laugh, "She must have gone shopping with the kids and Lily, I don't know where she got it and she just picked it up and turned it upside and just squeezed it right in there in her Pepsi. I thought it was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen but Elizabeth…she loved it, drank it all up." He closed his eyes, remembering how the rest of the chocolate syrup was put to use later that night.

"The one thing she always demanded was her chocolate milk and hot cocoa," Sly chuckled, "There was always a gallon in the fridge and a box in the cupboard, always for Lizzie and no one else and man, if someone touched her chocolate milk…there was an incident with a shoe over that one time."

Jason took a sip of the coffee that Sly handed him, wincing when he realized it tasted nothing like his Columbia brew and nodded slightly to the younger man, letting him know that he was listening to whatever story he had to offer about Elizabeth, the woman he really knew very little about.

"One of the girls, back at the um," Sly cleared his throat and took his own sip of his drink; "She went into the kitchen fridge and assumed that the milk was up for grabs. Turns out she took the last of it and left the empty container. Lizzie launched a full investigation and when she found out who did it, she picked up the strippers' favorite pair of shoes, threw one at her head and broke the other one right in two. The girl had a fit but Lizzie stood her ground and told the girl that she owed her a gallon chocolate milk and if she had a problem with that they could take it outside right in the parking lot. Needless to say, Lizzie got her milk the next day, despite the woman having at least ten years and twenty pounds on Lizzie."

"That sounds like Elizabeth," Jason said quietly as he stared at the coffee in his hands, "Fighting until the end."

"That's what my Aunt said," Sly stated as he leaned up on his knees, placing the cup on a table next to him, "She said that Lizzie was hanging on tight and that she wasn't going to give up. I believe it." When Jason didn't offer anything else Sly decided it was time to let the man in front of him know a little bit about himself, "Bill Eckert was my father, he was killed about a decade ago in the catacombs," Sly's eyes glazed over, "Mob related," he shrugged and sat back in the chair, throwing his leg across the other one, "My Dad was a first cousin to Luke and Bobbie, I call them Aunt and Uncle out of respect, Lucky and I were real close for a couple of years but then I was shipped off to California to live with my Aunt Jenny. I met Lizzie a few years after that."

Jason was quiet for a moment before his icy blue eyes met Sly's dark ones, "I know," he hesitated, "But thank you for telling me. I would never bring the Spencer's in on something that involves us."

Sly nodded slowly, "I know that. Just as you know that I would never use Em as a bargaining chip between you and me," Sly couldn't help the slow smile that spread across his face, "I take it you didn't know that I was friends with your sister. You were Jason Quartermaine then."

Jason felt his hand grip tighter around the paper cup, "If you're insinuating…"

"I'm not," Sly said quietly, "I've done enough damage to one young woman to last me a lifetime. I would never bring Emily into this. Allowing Lizzie to linger in the mob world was bad enough."

"Why would you do that?" Jason couldn't help but ask, "How could you be around her day in and day out and just allow her to sink further and further into…"

"How could you?" Sly asked with raised eyebrows, "We both know that you weren't made aware of her background until you found out that information, Morgan," Sly smirked, "And you stayed with Lizzie until you had to force her out of your life. How did you do it? How did you let her into your life, knowing that it was dangerous, knowing that she could be a target at anytime?" Sly snorted when Jason looked away, his cold eyes growing darker, "Because you couldn't stop it, because she gets under your skin, because there's something about her that you just can't let go of. And you can try to walk away from it, hell I did, but it just keeps on pulling you back."

"You sound like you're in love with her," Jason said, his voice hollow, before he took another long sip of his now lukewarm coffee.

Sly was silent for a moment, thinking, contemplating, "I might have been," he shrugged, "But that seems like a lifetime ago, a place I was before all the mistakes started getting made. Lizzie's a special girl, whether you're in love with her or not, not many people would have made it as far as she did. Her father practically sold her to the devil himself, she was forced to strip for strangers, bed them…" Sly watched as Jason stood up from his seat and angrily strode towards a trash can where he disposed of his empty cup, "It happened, its something that she's going to have to deal with for the rest of her life. If you're going to be around her, you're going to have to deal with it to."

"I don't plan on putting her through that kind of hell, Eckert," Jason said as he crossed his arms across his muscular chest, "I plan on making sure that things are smooth sailing as soon as she opens her eyes. I already know where she's going to live and she's going to go back to school, making something of herself."

Sly chuckled, "You run any of this by Lizzie? She doesn't like it when people make decisions for her."

"What the hell do you think you've been doing for the past three years?" Jason snarled.

"Exactly," Sly said quietly, "I've been making decisions for her, so has he father, so has her husband. When she wakes up she might curse you for saving her life. She's been through hell and if you can only imagine the times that she's talked about…"

"I won't," Jason cut off, "If she needs some time, some space to decide what she wants to do with her life that's fine. I'm going to make sure that she's taken care of."

"You don't need to do that," Sly said, "Alcazar was a stupid man. He thought he was invincible and he never made a will, therefore everything reverts to his wife and little Lizzie Webber is now a multimillionaire."

"Taking care of someone doesn't necessarily involve money," Jason said and presented Sly with his back. He never took into consideration that Elizabeth would be the sole heir of her husband's fortune. Elizabeth could now do anything, go anywhere, be anything that she wanted. He should be happy for her, be glad that she would finally be able to fulfill some dreams but for some reason he couldn't muster up any enthusiasm and his heart began to ache.

"I don't know what your intentions are," Sly said as he stood up from the chair and walked towards Jason, "But you better not be thinking about stringing Lizzie along so you can get your hands into Alcazar's prime…"

Jason whipped around, a fire blazing in his eyes, "Watch your mouth, Eckert. People have been known to disappear in hospitals before."

"Lizzie has been hurt enough," Sly growled stepping closer to him, "She doesn't need you to come swooping in like some knight in fucking armor, trying to sweep her off her feet only to have you leave her standing there crying because you couldn't…"

"You are the one that dragged her into this," Jason said as he took another step towards Sly, "You are the one that introduced her to Alcazar," he smirked when he saw Sly's eyes grow wide, "Yeah, I know it all, turns out Elizabeth trusts one of us and it doesn't seem to be you."

"You take some kind of perverse pleasure in that?" Sly asked as he clenched his fists, "I brought her into this world, Morgan, you were her chance to escape and what did you do? You threw her right back to the pack of wolves, wonderful fucking man that you are."

Jason felt his fists curl, felt the fury build inside of him and he never wanted to kill a man more in his life. He wasn't sure if it was because Sly Eckert was such a prick or because he was true in what he was saying. Either way, the remaining distance was closed between the two men and Jason had his fist raised before he heard a Spanish shout from across the room.

"Dios mio," Lily said running over to him and pulling him away from Sly Eckert, "I cannot even leave the city without you trying to get into some form of trouble. Would you leave poor Sly alone?"

Jason's eyebrows rose but he threw his hands up in the air and turned around, walking a few paces away from Sly and Lily. He knew that Sonny's wife would probably befriend the devil himself because she would believe there was some good in him.

"Have you heard anything else on Elizabeth?" Lily asked as she touched Jason's shoulder, "Sonny wants me to call him immediately with an update."

Jason turned around and looked down at her, "I could've called you at the island."

"The threat is gone," Lily said crossing her arms across her chest, "Mi familia is back where we belong. Sonny is very sorry that he couldn't be here."

Jason sighed as he ran his hands over his face, "I'm not going to argue with you Lily, I don't have the energy to fight with you right now."

Lily frowned as she slipped an arm around Jason's waist, "I'm sorry, Jason. Does that mean that you haven't…?"

"Excuse me."

Jason looked over to see his mother, Monica Quartermaine, standing off to the side, gripping a chart in her hand and looking very uncomfortable. He moved away from Lily and towards her.

"Is there news on Elizabeth?" Jason was curious as to how she had gotten the information.

"I'd like to speak with you in private for a minute, Jason," Monica said and turned around, walking a little further down the hallway, a little further away from Elizabeth's room.

"We'll be waiting here," Lily said as she let go of Jason.

He didn't mind if she waited, he wished the other asshole hovering over Elizabeth's room would disappear, preferably to the same place Luis Alcazar was. His motorcycle boots squeaked against the tile floor as he came to stand before his mother, watching as she nervously opened the chart in front of her.

"I wasn't there when you friend, Elizabeth Webber, was brought in," Monica said quietly, "Bobbie was in the ER and she called me, asked me to come in and see if there was anything that I could do," she cleared her throat, "You know Jason that it's not a very good sign that Elizabeth has still not woken up yet since the shooting however she's still hanging on and she's breathing on her own, the machine is just helping add extra air to her lungs."

Jason wanted to tell his mother to sped it up, to just get to the part where she would tell him whether or not Elizabeth was going to live or die but he knew that he needed to hear all of this, Lily would want to know and that bastard that called himself Elizabeth's friend would want to know too.

"The bullet was a clear through and through but there was a lot of bleeding," Monica closed her eyes and sighed before she was able to look at her son again, "A lot of bleeding Jason and we just weren't sure if she…" she looked down at the chair again, "We did everything we could, I'm so sorry Jason."

Jason blinked, "What? Elizabeth is…"

"If Elizabeth continues to hang on she will survive, she will make a full recovery."

"Then…"

"But we were unable to save the baby."


	26. Chapter 26

"Baby."

Jason couldn't move; he wasn't even sure if he could blink. If he hadn't heard the words with his own ears he wouldn't have believed that they came from his mouth. Monica was still standing in front of him; her face etched with worry as the words slipped passed her mouth.

They were unable to save the baby.

He tried to grip the wall but all he felt was the solid concrete and his hand slid down the surface, his shoulder colliding hard with it. He felt his legs start to tremble, felt his own mother reach out to him but he was unable to feel, unable to hear anything but the word baby.

"Jason…"

His eyes flashed towards his mothers and heard her gasp when she saw the anguish written all over his face. He was pale, he was trembling, he felt as if he were about to get sick. Pushing away from the offered comfort Jason headed down the hall, slammed through an exit door and ran.

Sly looked over at Lily who had just witnessed the scene between Jason and his mother. Monica now had a hand placed over her mouth as visible tears were streaming down her face. Neither Sly nor Lily could make out the conversation between mother and son and Sly knew from Jason's reaction that the news delivered to the hardened enforcer wasn't good.

He prayed that Elizabeth wasn't dead.

Lily placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and he looked up, her eyes revealing warmth and sympathy as she knelt down in front of where he was sitting, "I'm sure Elizabeth is fine. I'm going to find out some more information. Are you going to be alright here by yourself?"

Sly snorted and looked away, trying to rapidly blink away the tears that were appearing in his eyes, "I ain't a kid lady."

Lily laughed softly as she reached out and squeezed Sly's hand, "I was about your age, nineteen right, the first time my father was on the brink of death. I was a mobster's daughter so I could deal with anything, handle anything, that was until the doctors came out and told my mother that she might have to make the decision to take my father off of life support. There's always going to be something that makes us crack Sly," she said softly, "And it doesn't make you weak. I think it makes you stronger, for loving someone, for loving Elizabeth that much."

Sly looked back at Lily, a lone tear trailing down his cheek, "I never did right by her."

"A lot of people didn't," Lily said quietly.

"Yeah but her mom and dad, they couldn't make it up to her, they're dead," Sly whispered, "It was my job to…"

"It's okay," Lily whispered as she pulled the young man into her arms, "It's going to be okay, Sly."

Jason stared down at the running water disappearing down the drain in front of him. He was in the basement bathrooms of General Hospital, the floor that was reserved for maintenance, the floor he busted into because he needed some privacy and knew that he couldn't leave the hospital.

Not when Elizabeth was still unconscious, unaware that she had lost a child neither of them even knew existed.

He reached out and splashed another handful of cool water to his face but that did nothing to appease his anger, did nothing to comfort his pain. He turned the sink off and blinked, looking up and staring into the mirror in front of him, the harsh lighting from above giving his face an eerily glow.

He looked like hell, like he hadn't slept, like he hadn't eaten, like someone had just ripped the whole world right out from underneath of him. And they did, they took it and broke it into little tiny pieces and handed it back to him without any glue. He was supposed to figure it out, he was supposed to put the puzzle together, he was supposed to make everything alright. That was his job; that was why he was Jason Morgan.

And yet here he was, hiding in a bathroom, trying to figure out what to say to a girl who had already lost so much alright, that was even if she opened her eyes again.

"Why?" he choked out, his voice cracking, his tears hitting the porcelain white sink, "Why?"

He slammed his fists against it, over and over until it started to give way beneath him. Then he started to kick it, slamming his foot against the offensive bathroom item until it was hanging from the wall. With his bare hands he tore it away from the tile, allowing it to crash to the floor, a large chunk of it splintering off and sliding a few feet away.

He looked up at the mirror again, his fists reaching up and slamming into the light above it, breaking it, sending sparks and glass everywhere, even into his skin. His fists came crashing upon the reflective glass in front of him, breaking it until nothing but the cardboard behind it showed.

His fists were curled, blood seeping from them as he rested his head against the cool wall of the bathroom and cried wondering why this all had happened to Elizabeth when he was the bastard that killed for a living. He wondered why such a beautiful innocent young girl was trapped in the middle of a mob war when he was the one who wanted to be a part of this life. He wondered why a baby's life was taken before it even began. Why the hell was all this happening?

Letting his body slid to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest and keeping his bloodied fists clenched Jason remained in that position until Lily came and found him twenty minutes later. Her eyes filled with worry but there was no surprise on her face. She had known him the longest, she was there the morning he woke up in that hospital bed and she was not shocked in the least to see him destroy something in his rage.

She was the one who cleaned up the apartment after Elizabeth left and he was sure that she would be the one helping to sweep up the broken tile.

Lily quietly sat down on the floor next to him, reaching out for his clenched fists, examining them as tenderly as she could, "These are going to have to be cleaned up," she whispered.

"Why?" he asked pulling his hand away, flexing it, not wincing when he felt the glass dig further into his callous hands, "Why shouldn't I suffer just a little bit, Lily? I murderer people for a living, I take care of your husband's business and I'm able to come home and live in a plush penthouse with a pool table in the living room and a fridge full of beer. She had to strip for strangers, marry into this life, take a bullet for a man that refused to admit that he was in love with her and now she lost a baby and you know what?" he laughed bitterly, "She's not even an adult yet."

"Jas…"

"Why? Why is God doing this? Why, Lily? You go to church; you believe in Him, you have to tell me this. This hard enough when it was just her but to take a fucking child." Jason got up and moved away from Lily, running his bloody hands through his spiked hair and growling in frustration, "She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve this kind of hell. She's just a kid."

"In legality terms, yes Jason she is a child but you have to agree that Elizabeth was forced to grow up a long time ago," Lily said, "She should've been out with her friends after school, she should have been able to go to dances and parties, she should have been able to graduate with top honors but that was ripped away from her, just like her childhood. You have to face that yes, in numbers, she's seventeen but Jason she's so much older than that."

"It doesn't make it okay."

"I'm not saying that," Lily said as she stood up.

"Then what are you saying?" Jason asked stepping towards her, "I need to know how to fix this. You told me I could by going after Elizabeth. I did that and now she might be dying. I don't know what to do."

He walked over and kicked a piece of the porcelain sink, growling when it didn't move far. He then decided he would get more relief from the bathroom door so he threw his foot out at that, satisfied when it slammed against the stall wall and shook from its hinges.

"I can imagine how frustrated you are," Lily said quietly as she wrapped her arms around her waist, "I remember what it was like watching my husband being rolled into the emergency room and here I am a nurse and I could do nothing for him, absolutely nothing."

She saw Jason look at her, his blue eyes haunted, terrified, glassy, before he looked away and she saw the stone façade slip over him, the one he always wore around the house when he and Sonny were discussing business.

"I know this is the first time in your life that you're feeling this way," Lily continued as she stepped towards him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, "I wish that I could help you, Jason. I want to tell you the right words, I want to say the right things, I want to curse at God right now for what he is putting Elizabeth through but I can't do any of that. I can only pray and hope and look after her. She's a strong woman. She will make it through this."

"And when she does," he whispered as he looked at her again, "When those blue eyes open and she stares up at me with that gorgeous smile I had seen for so many mornings what do I say to her Lily? Hey Elizabeth, welcome back, thank you for stepping in front of my bullet, it killed our baby."

Lily closed her eyes as she squeezed Jason's shoulder.

"Did Monica tell you?" he asked as he moved away from her, crossing his arms across his chest. He couldn't be touched by anyone right now.

"I spoke with Bobbie," Lily said softly, "She was the head nurse in there with Elizabeth and I knew that Bobbie would ask Monica to speak with you."

"Now is not the time to…"

"No one was expecting you to fall into your mother's arms for support," Lily said, "But Bobbie thought that it would be better if…"

"I know," Jason said nodding, "And I appreciate that. I'll let them know that." He waited for a moment before his icy blue eyes met hers, "Did you tell Eckert?"

"It wasn't my place," she said, "I'm sure that Bobbie will…"

"It's not her place either," Jason snapped.

"Elizabeth is going to need all the friends she…"

"I haven't decided on whether or not I'm going to tell Elizabeth," Jason said quietly.

"Jason you have to tell her," Lily said, "There is no question in that."

"Why?" Jason asked. "So she can lose something else in her life. Why is there a need for Elizabeth to know that she was carrying a baby? Our child barely even had time to be conceived Lily and in the situation that the baby was…" he stopped and turned around, slamming his fist bloodied fist into a wall and then leaning his elbows against it, huffing in frustration, "Elizabeth has lost everything that she has, she has lost her friends because of me and I walked out on her, I abandoned her. Why should I let her know that she lost a child too because she stepped in front of a bullet that was meant for me, that should've gone straight to my heart."

"So she would have lost you too?" Lily asked softly. "Jason you mean a lot to Elizabeth, more than I think you realize and she would have been devastated if you were the one who wasn't here. She took that bullet for you because she loves you." She sighed when Jason didn't say anything, "Elizabeth needs to know about this for medical reasons. If something were to happen in the future she would need to be aware of it. Jason, if you don't tell her, her doctors will and I think that Elizabeth needs to hear it from you."

"How the hell am I supposed to tell her something that I haven't accepted yet?" Jason whispered.

"Mind if we have a conversation?"

Sly looked up at the one hand on his shoulder, recognizing the man as one of the goons that Jason had at the hospital with him the morning Luis Alcazar had made his presence known in Port Charles. When he felt another hand clamp down on his other shoulder he looked up and recognized the other one.

"I'm a little busy right now," Sly said trying to move away, only to have himself thrown into a dark hospital room, his gun quickly being removed from his waistband. He groaned when the lights were flicked on and he came face to face with Sonny Corinthos who looked very uncomfortable in a wheelchair.

"Give us a few minutes," Sonny nodded to his guards behind him.

Sly turned and watched them go, knowing that it was his own damn fault for pacing up and down the hallways by himself. He just couldn't stand sitting in front of Lizzie's room, Bobbie coming by every five minutes to check up on him.

"I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself the night we met in Elizabeth's motel room," Sonny said, "I'm afraid that was rude of me," he flashed Sly his dimples, which made Sly even more uncomfortable, "I'm Sonny Corinthos, along with my partner Jason Morgan, I run this town. Would you kindly tell me what the hell you're doing in it?"

Sly smirked, "I'm not looking to take your sidekick out."

"Just so something is made clear," Sonny said as he adjusted his seat in his wheelchair, "I am injured, sure, but if I wasn't, you'd be in a warehouse somewhere answering questions while a hot poker was being burned into your side. Since my condition is delicate and you seem to be on good terms with Elizabeth I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. One false move and you won't walk out of this hospital alive."

"I kill men like you for a living," Sly said, "If you weren't on good terms with Lizzie I would've been the one at your house."

"You want to stand there and show me that you've got balls or you want to tell me what went down in the park last night," Sonny said, "I've got a lot of questions that need to be answered and I'll get my answers, with or without you being alive."

"Why the fuck should I say anything to you?" Sly asked.

"Because Alcazar is dead, you have no ties to him and if what I believe happened is true I may have an opening in my organization for you."

"Morgan doesn't trust me."

"Morgan doesn't trust anybody," Sonny smirked, "It's his job." He wheeled his chair closer to Sly, "Chicago is in an uproar right now. They want to know how Alcazar was murdered. If it was Jason it's something that is going to be brushed under the rug. No one is going to go after someone that was protecting their own territory. If it was something else…" Sonny shrugged, "Your smart, I think with some training and a lot of patience on my part," he grinned, "I can make you into something one day. I can offer you protection."

"Why are you even giving me this option?" Sly asked, "You'd have to have someone guarding me until I could prove that I can be trusted. That's a big risk to take in a large organization like yours."

"I'm aware of the risks," Sonny said, "Elizabeth means a great deal to me and if I didn't have my own family to think about I would have went after the bastard that did this to her. If I had a little more time to think, a little more warning I would have made sure my family was safe and than I would've taken care of Elizabeth. Unfortunately Elizabeth chose to keep things to herself for too long a time period and I felt that all I could do was offer her a way out," his eyes lost a little of their glow, "I'm sorry that wasn't enough."

Sly shrugged, "It's really up to Lizzie. I could always go back to Chicago."

"Can you?" Sonny asked with raised eyebrows.

Sly laughed and shook his head, "No, I guess I can't." He nodded as he looked at Sonny, "What you believed happened is true, I'm the one who shot Alcazar. Jason's bullet between the eyes brought his death a lot quicker but I'm the one that took him down." Sly looked down at his feet, "I knew he was an asshole. I knew he was fucked up but I always thought that as long as Lizzie was with me I could keep her protected," he laughed again, "I was so fucking wrong, my thinking was so messed up and when he raised that gun…I knew that Jason wasn't going to get hit. He started moving towards me. I was going to let Jason take me down and reach for his own gun. It would have been cleaner. He would've shot Alcazar, I would've disappeared, it would've been nice and tidy, like the mob does it, but when Lizzie, god damn't when she moved, I knew…" he closed his eyes fighting back the tears that were now clogging his throat, "I knew that she loved Morgan that much and when Alcazar continued to fire I just…I lost it. I kept on shooting until my gun was empty."

"I would like you to stick around." Sonny said, "Be someplace where I can find you."

"I'm here until Lizzie asks me to leave," Sly said.

Sonny nodded, "I hope to make you a part of our organization."

"Are you sure I can't get you anything else?" Lily asked as she handed Jason a cup of coffee, eyeing the white bandages that now covered his hands.

"Yes," Jason said as he stared into Elizabeth's hospital room, "If you bring me food I won't eat it. This is fine for now. When I'm hungry I'll eat."

"I doubt that," Lily said with a small smile and then frowned when Jason shoved the cup back at her, "Jason what's wrong."

"Elizabeth's waking up."


	27. Chapter 27

Jason stood in the corner of the hospital room, his arms folded against his chest, muscles bulging against the tight black tee shirt that he wore. He hadn't moved in the past twenty minutes, his breathing quiet, his face set in stone and his eyes locked with another pair of dark blue ones.

Elizabeth was awake and she was going to live.

She was nodding to whatever his mother and Bobbie were saying but she never broke the intense gaze she held with the man who she found hovering over her bed when her lashes had fluttered and her eyes opened. She couldn't begin to describe the immense relief she felt when she realized that Jason was alive and he was unharmed.

She didn't care what the doctors had to say. Of course she had no intention of moving. She could still feel the dull ache in her stomach through the haze of the painkillers. She knew that she was severely wounded but she didn't give a damn, she would've done it all over again, just to be able to wake up and stare at Jason Morgan.

She wanted the doctors gone, she wanted to scream at them to get the hell out of her room because she had so many questions that she needed answers to. She wanted to hear the words from Jason's mouth that he was okay, she wanted an update on Sonny and Lily and the children, she wanted to know what happened to Sly, she needed to know what happened to her husband but most importantly she wanted to know if what she was seeing was truly real.

If the hate had disappeared from Jason's eyes to be replaced with something so intense it shook her to the core.

Monica looked from Elizabeth to Jason and realized that she was getting nowhere with her patient or her son. She nodded to the rest of the nurses and her and Bobbie led the way out of the room, leaving the two people alone, to start a new path down a long road ahead.

The time had come. There was no one left in the room but he and Elizabeth and Jason couldn't get his legs to move. He wanted to run to her, to touch her, to make sure that she was truly breathing, that the color had returned to her skin, that her lips held that vibrant pink shade again, that her eyes were open and staring at him but he couldn't do it, he couldn't get his feet to move, one in front of the other, not when he knew that when the celebration was over the devastation would begin once again.

Elizabeth felt his hesitation. She wasn't surprised. She deserved it. She knew that it would be too damn easy to forgive her for the mistakes that she had made. She had only hoped that they would be able to push past it but with the way he was standing firm in the corner Elizabeth felt that there was no moving forward, that her and Jason would forever be stuck in neutral, struggling with what they felt and never being able to do anything about it.

Staring at him had become unbearable. Her eyes had drifted from his face, down to where his arms were unfolding from his chest, towards his hands which were wrapped in crisp white bandages, dark red stains seeping through.

"Jason, what happened?" she asked, "That wasn't…"

Her voice moved him, broke him out of the trance that he was in and with two large steps he was looming over her again, one damaged hand in her hair, the other picking up her tiny weak one, cradling it with his.

"I thought I lost you."

The words were choked out, amidst anguish and tears as his body started to tremble and his legs shook. He moved his hand from her hair and gripped the side of the bed, her free hand coming up and running over his gel slicked spikes. He fought the emotions that assaulted him, the ones that had been plaguing him since he watched her collapse to the ground at his feet, taking his bullet, risking her own life.

When his eyes met hers again he saw the tears reflected their, the pain, the sorrow, the grief. He leaned forward, wanting so bad to touch her, wanting to take her quaking lips with his own but he fought the urge, he resisted the desired that curled up inside of him. She was just a child, a child who had been through too much already and he refused to cause her more hurt and pain. He vowed to take care of this child before him, he vowed to love her and protect her and make sure that no further harm come upon her.

Especially from him.

Pulling away, physically, emotionally, he reached for the tiny stool behind him and sat down on it, taking her hand again and giving her a forced smile. She knew it was fake, they both did, and they both pretended it was real.

"What you did…" he said quietly, "There are no words."

"I owed you," she said quietly, "It was the least I could do after what…"

"That's in the past and something that I think we shouldn't discuss," he said, his voice broking no argument, "A lot of things died that night in the park, your husband being one of them, my hatred being another."

"Luis," she whispered.

Jason nodded, trying to gauge her reaction and for the first time since he had known Elizabeth he couldn't tell how she was feeling. She had curled up inside of herself when it came to the news that the man who had held her as a virtual slave was dead.

"I murdered him."

Those blue eyes of hers sparked again and sadly, what could only be described as a small smile, appeared on her face. She was glad that he had a hand in the murdering of the leader of the largest organization in Chicago. Elizabeth Webber was truly a part of the mafia world.

"I'm finally able to close that chapter of my life," she said. "And I don't know where to go from here."

Questions, they were lingering between them, the answers, so far out of reach.

"You won't be able to leave the hospital for a few days," Jason said, "You were very seriously injured and your body is going to need to recuperate."

"I hate hospitals," she said looking away from him again.

"No more than I do," he said, "But I have to agree with my mother on this. You need to be here to get better and that's what needs to be done, you need to get better."

"Your mother?" she asked curiously, "That was the doctor. I could feel her eyes on you."

Jason cleared his throat, "We don't get…"

"I know," she said softly, "I remember, from the night when I learned how to play pool." She closed her eyes, fighting back the images of Jason leaning behind her, then hovering over her, thrusting inside of her while she was pressed against the green felt.

"If we didn't get carried away," he whispered as he brought her hand to his mouth, his words mumbled against her soft skin, "If only the conversation had continued you wouldn't be lying in this hospital bed."

"No," she said feeling the tears hit her eyes again, "No, Jason, don't take this on yourself. I decided to keep this; I decided to carry this burden around as my own. This is my fault and I deserved that shot more than anyone else."

"It was my shot," he said pulling her hand away, "It was my bullet."

"It was my husband," Elizabeth said, "It was my life. I drug you into it, you had no choice. I should've been the one who ended Luis' life, not you. That weight shouldn't have been placed upon your shoulders."

Silence stretched between them, Elizabeth's breaths coming in tiny gasps as she tried to calm her racing heart. Jason was now turning into Lily, making her problems his own and she didn't want that, not when she was at fault. She wanted to take on the responsibility of what she had done and what was to come of her life. She had to deal with the consequences because she was beginning to realize that when you reached the end of the road you always seemed to be standing on your own.

"Sly took Alcazar down."

"What?" she asked, her face confused. She couldn't have heard that right, "What?"

Jason nodded, "I didn't think about it, it didn't even cross my mind when I was standing over Alcazar's dying body and I put the bullet between his eyes," he looked at Elizabeth who was seemingly unfazed by that remark, "But I remember the shots."

"I remember the shots," Elizabeth said, "It was one of the last things that I remember."

"Johnny and Francis didn't show up until a few minutes later, they were taking care of any friends of Alcazar's," Jason said, "I didn't pull my gun until after he was on the ground, the only other person there was Sly. The bullets, they echoed in my head, he must've emptied his gun on him."

"Sly," Elizabeth said quietly, "He told me to trust him."

"No one would blame you for not doing so," he said.

"Why should I?" she asked bitterly, "Every person in my life that I ever trusted turned their back on me. Sly would take the last chance to be a hero, to prove himself and now what? Am I supposed to open my arms and just expect everything to be okay?"

She was crying and she hated it. She hated even more that she didn't know what she was crying for. She just felt so empty inside, that everything was falling to pieces around her and that things made more sense when they were fucked up than they did now when she would be able to pick up her shattered world and move on.

"I was asking the same question outside of your hospital room," he said as he released her hand and ran his bruises palms over his face, "I don't…there's just so much that…" he got up frustrated and moved away from the bed, wishing there was something in the room that he could hit.

"I want it fixed to," she said, "I want to snap my fingers and make it all better but I know that it's not going to. I have to face some harsh realities. I have everything right now Jason and I have nothing, _nothing_," she stressed, "The whole city of Chicago is lying at my feet and I don't know what to do with it, I don't know if I want to do anything with it and I'm not even concerned. I don't care about the fortune that I know is mine, I don't care about the girls that are going to be left wandering around in the club, I don't care about Sly the enforcer and I don't care about the territorial wars that are probably starting as we speak. Right now all I care about is you and me and how I get back to the point where it was just Jason and Elizabeth and nothing else."

"Don't you think that I want you too, Elizabeth?" he asked quietly, "Don't you think that I want to push everything else aside and just take you in my arms and tell you that we're going to be okay? I can't do that, you know that."

"Why?" she asked, her shaking hand curling up into a fist, "Why can't we just throw away the bullshit and get back to where we started, where nothing else existed but…"

"Our frenzy sex crazed world," he said walking back towards the bed, "You can't expect me to go back there, Elizabeth. You're…"

"Just a child," she whispered, "I will forever be just a child to you, Jason Morgan."

"To me you will be a girl who has lost every ounce of innocence she had before she even got the chance to enjoy it," he said, "I don't want to be one of those people who helped take it away."

"You helped give it back to me don't you get that?" she asked, "You pulled me off that stage, you allowed me to practically burn down your kitchen, you taught me how to play pool…"

"I let you seduce me," he said quietly, "I took you in the back of a limo, I took you on the floor in my penthouse, I let you strip for me in my own leather jacket."

"I was a willing participant."

"You shouldn't have been!" he practically shouted, "Elizabeth, you should have been out at the mall shopping with your friends, you should've been picking out a winter formal dress and giggling about your latest crush over some cheese fries. You should be worrying about finals and learning how to drive a car not struggling to survive in this crazy fucked up universe I live in. Sly was right, you lied your way into my world but I allowed you to stay here and I should have never done that."

"You wished we never happened," she whispered as a tear slid from her eye to the pillow that rested beneath her head.

"I wish that I wasn't added to the growing list of people who stole your childhood from you," Jason said quietly as he moved back to the stool, sitting down gently, "And I think that I might have been the worst offender."

"I don't want to discuss this with you," she said looking away from him, "I don't want to hear about how the times we had together amount to nothing but my loss of normal teenage moments."

"You lost a baby."

Elizabeth's face whipped back to his, her eyes growing wide, her body letting her know that the emptiness she felt wasn't just the sorrow and pain she was carrying with her.

"No," she whispered, "No, I was on the pill. That is not…"

"It is," Jason said as he reached for her hand, his face showing no emotion when she pulled away from him, "Nothing is one hundred percent effective and that one night," he closed his eyes, his body visibly shuddering, "That one night I took you against the door, a little more than a week ago, Elizabeth."

"No," she said as she reached up, reached towards him, trying to grasp his shirt, "No, Jason, I don't want to hear it. That is not true. That cannot happen with one time. All these years I've been…"

"The baby had hardly anytime to develop," he whispered quietly as he curled his fists up and pressed them against his quivering mouth, trying to get his emotions back under control, "Lily explained it to me. A pregnancy is always considered two weeks no matter when the child is conceived, our baby was just forming."

"Stop it," Elizabeth said pressing her palms against her ears, "I don't want to hear these lies."

"Elizabeth, please," he sighed as he closed his eyes. He hated what he was seeing. She was literally turning into herself, her eyes were darkening, her skin was paling, a coldness started to surround her as she brought her hands back down to her sides.

"I would have known."

"There was barely any time," he whispered as he tried to reach for her again, this time she slapped his hand away, "We couldn't have…"

"I would've felt my baby," she said, her voice emotionless, "I would've felt the loss of my baby."

He shook his head. He was beginning to think that maybe Monica or Bobbie or even Lily was the one who should have broken the news to her. He didn't seem to be getting through. She didn't seem to be responding to him.

"The bullet," he said after he cleared his throat, "There was so much blood, Lily said that they thought it was from the bullet at first but after…after a thorough exam they realized that you were…that…"

"That your bullet killed my child."

Jason felt as if she had reached it and tore his heart from his chest. He also realized that in that moment he was no longer looking at the Elizabeth Webber he knew and loved, he was looking at a mother who had lost a child she wasn't even aware that she was carrying.

Still, the tears slipped from his eyes, down his cheeks, the same path hers were taking.

"Elizabeth…"

"Get out," she said in a clipped voice. One that sounded so much like his own when he was barking an order.

Normally he would do what she would say, normally he would think that she needed her space, needed time to think, time to let this settle in, normally he would do what he did best, he would walk away but this time things were different, and things would never be normal between he and Elizabeth.

He stood up beside her and took both of her failing wrists in his hand, carefully trying to pull her into a sitting position. She was struggling against him, fighting as he sat down next to her on the bed and he did his best not to jostle her, to hold her tight against his chest, cradling her in his arms.

"No," she cried as she hit his chest with her tiny fists, "No, Jason, no, not our baby, no."

He could feel her hot tears soaking through his tee shirt, dampening his warm skin. He buried his wet face in her hair, his own tears still falling, the sounds of the hospital monitors being drowned out by Elizabeth's heart wrenching sobs for their unborn baby.


	28. Chapter 28

Jason had been sitting on the little black stool beside Elizabeth's bed for the past two hours. He watched her as both of her hands, which were resting on her stomach, played with his large fingers. She hadn't moved since he had laid her back down in the bed, she hadn't said a word after her sobs had quieted. She was just there, in the room, like him.

He knew that Lily was probably worrying, Sly Eckert was most likely pacing the halls and he hoped that Sonny was in bed at home waiting for an update. Being the right hand man, being the person who always took care of everyone else but himself, Jason also knew that he should excuse himself and deal with those who awaited him. He just couldn't tear himself away. It was time to take care of himself.

He was doing that by taking care of Elizabeth.

She was giving him a small smile, one that she forced upon her lips before she shifted in the bed and moved closer to him, her eyes closed and her hand was taking a firmer grip on his. He wished that he knew what was going through her head, he wished that he could take all her pain on himself; he could carry it easily, like he did everything else.

She would hate that though. Elizabeth would want to share the burden, just like she told him earlier. She was the one that got everyone into this mess; she should be the one getting everyone out. She took the bullet for him because she brought the bullet to Port Charles and because she loved him, because she was just as crazy about him as he was about her.

If only that fake birth certificate were real.

He started to pull away, to get up from the chair and withdrawal his hand but her grip tightened and he looked down at her, her eyes fluttering open again, the dark blue orbs echoing the pain that he felt.

He sat back down again.

"I'm sorry I lost your baby," she whispered, "Please don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said quietly, "You didn't lose my baby Elizabeth," he reached over with his free hand and pressed it against her cool cheek, "It was our baby and the only person responsible for that is six feet under."

"I brought him here," Elizabeth said, "It all reverts back to me."

Jason sighed as he moved his hand from her face and ran it over his own tired one, "Elizabeth, you can't blame yourself for this. If you do, it's just as much my fault as your own."

"How is that?" she snapped as she released his other hand.

"I was the one that walked away from you," he said, "I knew the position that you were in and I didn't give a damn. I was more concerned about my life than that of a girl who was in serious…"

"It wasn't your fault that I was practically sold to the mob Jason, it wasn't your fault that I was forced to strip, it wasn't your fault that I was married at the age of sixteen," she bit out, pulling further and further away from him, "It wasn't your fault that I lied to you, it wasn't your fault that men came busting into this town, guns firing, and it certainly wasn't your fault that I miscarried your baby."

"Elizabeth you were shot."

"By _my _husband."

"Elizabeth, I just want to…" Jason licked his lips and stood up from the chair, his hands curling into fists. He wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her hard until she stopped talking all this nonsense. He didn't blame her, not anymore, not when he saw her dying at his feet but she blamed herself. He shouldn't be surprised; for the past week all he had been telling her was that it was her fault. It was going to take sometime before she really believed that she was just an innocent victim in a man's sick world.

"I'm inadequate."

Jason turned back to her, to the pale body lying in the bed. She looked so sad, so miserable, so desperate, wanting to cling on to something that she could believe in. When she looked up at him with tears in her eyes he went to her side again, taking her two frail hands into his large one.

He would let her know that she could always cling to him.

"I'm an inadequate daughter, I'm an inadequate girlfriend, I'm an inadequate mother…"

"Elizabeth," he whispered leaning down towards her, "You are not inadequate and you were definitely not an inadequate girlfriend."

"Because that's all I know how to do Jason," she whispered as he watched the tears roll down her cheeks, "Strip and fuck. What the hell kind of mother would I have been?"

"You would have been a wonderful mother," he said softly, "You are kind, caring, brave, strong, there are so many wonderful things about you, I don't know if I can name them all. There were some nights that I wanted to come home and tear my penthouse apart because I was so frustrated with work or life in general and I'd walk in the door and you'd be there with Kelly's take out or practicing your game of pool so you could try and beat me. You knew something was wrong but you didn't push, you'd just let me relax and then you listened and then you did the little things like massage my temples or pick apart my food and feed it to me before I even realized that I had eaten all of the dinner I refused to touch a half hour before. The way you smile could light up a room and the way you are so determined to figure out those damn accounting books…"

"But Jason that…"

"I'm not done," he barked before he settled down on the stool again, "The way you are with Lily and Sonny's children is amazing. You know that…" he laughed softly, "You didn't know that they called you Aunt 'Lizabeth when you weren't around. Sonny, he didn't want to encourage them, he wasn't sure where…" he licked his lips, "But I did because I knew that this, that us, was something that was going to stick for a while and I wanted them to think of you as an Aunt. You naturally played Barbie's with Adella but then you just as easily played with Morgan and his Matchbox cars. You read to them, you cleaned off their cuts at the park; you stuffed them with ice cream when Sonny wasn't looking and the way you talked to them, like they were adults, the way you held them when they were too tired to walk home. God Elizabeth, I don't know if I could find a better mother than you."

"Then why," she said slamming her fists on the bed, "If I'm so fucking wonderful Jason why the hell did God take this child for me?"

"I don't…" he closed his eyes and tried to fight back in own tears as hers soaked the pillow beneath her, "I never really thought about God. I don't go to church and I don't worship Him and with the living I make I decided that I never really wanted to answer to anybody higher up but that changed, that changed the moment you were wheeled in here. I could do nothing else but pray that you were safe; Elizabeth and He answered my prayers. Maybe, maybe God realized that it was too much, that you couldn't handle a child right now."

"Jason I would…"

"I know you would give it your all, just like you do everything else, Elizabeth," Jason said softly, "But you never had a chance to enjoy life. You are still so young and the…maybe God is giving you a chance to for once just to be you. You don't have to strip for strangers to earn money, you don't have to be anyone else's husband or girlfriend, you don't…you don't have to be someone's mother you can just be Elizabeth, sweet seventeen year old Elizabeth."

"You sound like your glad that I lost this child," she whispered tearfully.

"No," he choked, "No Elizabeth I've longed for my own child for a very long time but if I had a choice between a child who hadn't even had a chance to develop yet or your life…I'm sorry Elizabeth. I'd have to choose you."

"I'm sorry," a nurse said opening the door behind them, "I need to take Miss Webber down for some more tests."

Jason nodded as he released Elizabeth's hand and stepped away, allowing the orderly's to come in and detach the monitors and bags so that Elizabeth's bed could be wheeled out of the room. He watched her as she settled her hands on her stomach and then looked at him once more when they started to push her out of the room.

"You don't have to wait for me," she said quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere, Elizabeth."

He watched as the door closed behind her and Jason felt as if the distance between them had grown. He wondered if he would ever be able to reach Elizabeth again and then he was curious as to why he cared. He knew that nothing could ever come of them, the age difference still lingered there but yet, she had carried their child, she had lost their child and she still held his heart as she did the moment she walked into the club looking for a job.

He shook his head in disgust and picked up the stool that he had been sitting on and threw it across the room; loving the sound of the metal crashing against the bathroom door. He pounded his fists at the wall in frustration and didn't bother to turn around when the door opened behind him.

"Lily, I'm not in the mood right now."

"Are you in the mood for me?"

Jason turned to see Sonny in a wheel chair, his hand reaching out to close the hospital door behind him. He approached his mentor, his best friend, concern on his face, fists still tightened.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I came down here to check on Elizabeth," Sonny said, "Under the circumstances I wasn't pressing to see her and I thought that I'd take care of a few other matters."

"Eckert," Jason said. He'd rather focus on the lying bastard than on himself.

Sonny nodded as he wheeled closer to Jason, "I think that he is someone we have to deal with."

"I agree," Jason said folding his arms over his chest, "I'm just not sure if I'm the one that is going to be able to take care of things."

"Why not?" Sonny asked.

"Elizabeth is fond of him," Jason said, "I have no idea why. I don't care if he's the one that brought Alcazar down at the end, Alcazar should have never had the opportunity to fire a bullet in the first place but Sly waited until the last minute."

"He was true to Alcazar," Sonny said, "Granted his loyalties were a little mixed up but he was loyal."

Jason's eyes narrowed, "What are you saying?"

"I think Sly should be taken care of," Sonny said, "But in a different way that you do. I think that Sly would be an asset to us."

Jason stood there for a minute blinking. He wasn't sure if those words had actually come out of Sonny's mouth, "What?"

Sonny flashed his dimples, "I know you weren't expecting that."

"Not when he's been trying to take us down," Jason said, "He's the enemy."

"His boss was the enemy," Sonny said, "Sly was doing as he was told and he was fighting his orders until the end. If he really was aligned with Alcazar, Elizabeth would be dead right now and so would you. I think Sly knew in the end that he was working for the wrong man and decided to rectify the situation."

"He's trying to get back into Elizabeth's good graces," Jason snarled, "I don't trust him."

Sonny grinned again, "I told him you don't trust anyone. That's the best thing about you."

"I trusted Elizabeth."

Sonny's smile slipped from his face and his brown eyes softened, "I know that it's going to take a while before…"

"It's done, it's over with," Jason said, "Whatever was going on between Elizabeth and I in the past is in the past."

"I'd like you to give the same opportunity to Sly," Sonny said quietly, "I think he's lost his way and I would like to help him out."

"You want me to train him." It wasn't a question. "Sonny, I can't stand him."

"I'm not demanding that you do," Sonny said, "I'm asking you to do this for me, for Elizabeth. I think that she also realizes that Sly needs help."

"What about Chicago?"

Sonny sighed, "We're going to make it look like Alcazar was killed for trying to take over the territory. If they find out that Sly did it they will come after him which will bring another war here and I don't want that right now. I trust your instincts Jason, better than my own, and if you think that what I have planned isn't going to work out I'd like for you to tell me. I just…one day I'm going to retire and Lily and myself and the children are going to settle on the island. I don't want them to be a part of this business. I'd rather leave it to you and I'd like you to have someone that you can rely upon."

"You think Eckert's that person."

"I think that he can be."

Jason sighed and moved away from Sonny, walking towards the window in the hospital room, "You saw something in me a long time ago. You trusted me to be able to handle things when no one else thought I could," his turned towards Sonny, "I'll take care of Sly."

Sonny nodded, "Elizabeth will be grateful."

Jason's gaze returned back towards the window, "I don't think Elizabeth will ever be grateful to me again."

"She's almost done with her tests," Lily smiled softly as she handed him a cup of coffee, "I'm going to try and distract Jason long enough for you to be able to see her."

"I don't understand why you and Corinthos are being so nice to me," Sly said, "But I'm not one to bite my nose off just to spite my face so I'm going to say thank you."

"You're welcome," she said sitting down next to him, "I know that you have no intention of leaving here until you speak with Elizabeth but may I ask if you have someplace to stay? Sonny and I have plenty of room and if not there Jason…"

Sly laughed, "I really can't see Morgan and myself as roommates. I'm going to move into one of the rooms above my Aunt's diner. I'm not sure how long I'll be in town so there's no reason for me to rush out and sign a lease elsewhere."

"Sonny told me that he'd like you to come work for him."

"Sonny's the only man in this business who enlightens his wife on his dealings."

"He's a smart man."

Sly laughed quietly, "That he is. I haven't made any kind of decision. That will be made when I'm able to talk to Elizabeth. I'd like to be a part of her life but if she wants me gone…" he shrugged.

"I know that you have family here," she said softly, "I'm sure they'd like you to stick around."

"Family," Sly snorted, "After my parents died I only met two people who welcomed me with open arms, Lorenzo Alcazar and Elizabeth Webber. Alcazar's love was conditional and Elizabeth's love I destroyed. So you see I'd rather stay as far away from my bloodline as possible."

"Thank I think I should fair warn you," Lily said, "If you take a job with Sonny Corinthos you become a part one." She smiled softly as she reached over and squeezed his hand, "Welcome to mi familia."

Elizabeth felt almost guilty for enjoying the moment of peace in her hospital room. She had convinced Jason to go down to the cafeteria to get a black coffee for himself and chocolate milk for her. She needed some space, some time to breath, he was hovering over her wanting to do everything, want to fix something that she wasn't sure was able to be fixed. She just wanted out of this room and out of this hospital but she knew that her stay was going to be at least another weak.

The doctors did relay some other news; she would be able to have children again in the future.

According to Jason it was something she shouldn't even be thinking about. She should be pulling on some hip hugger jeans, grabbing her hip hop CD, bumming someone's car off of them and going shopping at the mall, acting like any normal teen.

But she wasn't a normal teen and she had to get it through his thick skull that she never would be.

She nearly growled when the door to her hospital room was opened, hating that he was that quick in getting the items she requested. She was surprised and sat up too quickly, wincing in pain when she saw her visitor.

"Hello Elizabeth, how are you?" he smiled softly.

"Sonny," she whispered as he wheeled towards her bedside, "How are you? Oh God, I'm so sorry I never meant to…"

He reached out and squeezed her hand, smiling with those dimples that she loved, "It wasn't you, Elizabeth. I never blamed you. I'm glad that you're okay."

She fought back the tears and wished that she could reach out and hug him. This was her true family, not the people who were buried in the ground.

"Elizabeth, if there is anything that Lily and I can do, please…"

"There is," she said quickly as she wiped her wet cheeks.

"Name it."

"I need you to help me run the city of Chicago."


	29. Chapter 29

"Chicago?" Sonny asked with raised eyebrows.

"Chicago," Elizabeth confirmed with a nod of her head.

Sonny let out a low whistle and had to look away from the young woman that lie before him. If this question was coming from any other female he would've had to laugh in her face and tell her to seek help elsewhere but Elizabeth had just been through a traumatic experience, had been going through a traumatic experience for the past three years of her life and obviously it was starting to effect her rational thinking.

"Elizabeth, learning to run an organization is…"

"I wouldn't be learning it all from the beginning," Elizabeth said, "I know enough information to keep things going. Are there some things I'm going to have to learn? Sure, but you have to admit that in this business you are always being thrown curveballs."

"Yes," Sonny said hesitantly, "But…"

"And most of the men are aware of who I am, they respect me because I'm Luis Alcazar's wife," Elizabeth said, "They're loyal to Luis and they'll follow what I have to say."

Sonny couldn't help the small smile that tugged on his lips, "Elizabeth…"

"A female has never run the Chicago organization," she said, "I don't know if a female has ever run any organization but I'm ready to be the first Sonny," she held up her hand when he opened his mouth, "I know that you're thinking they aren't going to listen to me, I know that your aware that I was given respect because Luis was alive and by my side and would've killed anyone that dare look at me crossly, I know that the Mafia is like the old western ranches where no cowboy was working for a female foreman. That's why I've asked for your help, if you could back me then the boys would know I mean business."

Sonny was quite for a long moment before he reached over and took Elizabeth's hand, "You are a very strong woman, maybe the strongest woman that I have ever met, but I'm afraid that I can't let you do this, Elizabeth. I don't know if I'd ever be able to let anyone do this."

"I know what this world is like," she said quietly, "I know from first hand experience what the bottom of the barrel feels like, Sonny, nothing about this world would ever surprise me."

Sonny smirked, "There are things about this world that still shock the hell out of me Elizabeth and would you like to hear a perfect example? You. I never thought a man would drag a young girl from her family and force her into a life of degradation, force her to marry him, force her to be pawned off like she was a piece of jewelry instead of a human being. But men like that exist, Elizabeth, just because you killed off one doesn't mean there aren't others."

"I've handled Luis Alcazar for three years Sonny, I'm aware of how things work," she said, "All the more reason…"

"All the more reason to step back," he said as he released her hand and settled back in his wheelchair, "To appreciate the second chance that you have in life, Elizabeth. All the more reason to enjoy the breath of fresh air that you get to breathe."

"Is that what you're going to do?" she asked, "Are you going to get out of this world because you've been given a second lease on life? No, you are going to stay here and you are going to fight and that is what I'm going to do as well, I'm going to fight for what's been handed down to me. Am I taking on too much? Hell yeah, as you and Jason so kindly keep putting out, I'm not even of age to vote and I'm about to take on the underworld but it is my underworld and I'm going to make sure that things are taken care of, with or without your help."

"How the hell did you and Jason ever last as long as you did?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"That's not something that you have to worry about," Elizabeth said as she crossed her arms across her chest, "Jason and I are friends, barely that."

"Elizabeth…"

"Chicago, Sonny," she said, her blue eyes blazing, "Where are we on the topic of running my businesses?"

"I don't want you going to Chicago," Sonny said, "You nearly died and it is too soon for you to be getting up out of this bed running around shouting orders at everyone. Maybe, in a few weeks, we'll talk about things again."

"Two weeks," Elizabeth said, "In two weeks I'm getting out of here, thirteen days actually and I'm going to Chicago. I'll take Sly."

"Sly can't go with you," Sonny said, "We're going to do out best here by trying to protect him. I've offered him a position with me."

"That was very generous of you," she said, "Keep your enemies closer."

"I don't consider Sly an enemy," Sonny said and shrugged, "I know that he was sitting on the fence for a while there but I think he knew all along that he would one day have to make a decision and I think he knew what that decision was. I think he tried to fight it because he was supposed to be loyal to Alcazar."

"Who the hell would be loyal to his pimped out wife," she whispered as she felt the tears gather in her eyes once again, "If you can't spare any guards I'll try to call a few old ones that protect only me. I appreciate you at least hearing me out, Sonny."

"They're going to be watching us for a while," Sonny said, "Chicago. We're going to put out the word that Alcazar was killed because he tried to stake a claim in our territory. I need to step up the guard patrol, especially with my family."

Elizabeth nodded, "That's understandable. The two people I trust most you are going to need with you, Johnny and Francis." She sighed and looked away, "Two weeks might be enough time to let the city cool down but what if it's too much Sonny? What if someone tries to take over what's rightfully mine? This isn't just about the organization; this is about the businesses, my inheritance, Luis' estate. I had to fuck the bastard for the past three and a half years; those millions are coming to me."

"I agree," Sonny said, "And I won't begrudge you that but I am not allowing you to go to Chicago alone. You're taking someone with you, just to check out his estate dealings, after that's settled we'll move on from there."

Elizabeth nodded eagerly. She would agree to anything as long as it got her onto a plane to the windy city. Once she got there she'd take things into her own hands. After all, Sonny wasn't going to be the one traveling with her.

"Fine, whatever you say Sonny. I'll go with whoever you want me to."

"Good," Sonny said, "I'll talk to Jason."

"Hey there," Lily smiled quietly as she stepped in front of Jason as he was about to turn down the hallway that led to Elizabeth's hospital room.

"Hey," he said as he nodded with his head, "I'm heading back to see Elizabeth."

"Sit with me?" she asked motioning to a chair behind them. She smiled sadly when she watched his eyes traveling back towards Elizabeth's room, "I know that you want to see her Jason but there are other people that need to see her as well."

Jason looked back down at Lily, none too please, and she had to reach up and pry the chocolate milk from his hand as he kept a firm grip on his hot coffee. He took a sip and muttered a curse when he burned his lips.

"Sonny wanted to see how she was," Lily said taking his hand and pull him down in a chair, "And of course Sly."

"If that bastard so much as…"

"He cares for her Jason," Lily said quietly as she placed the chocolate milk on the floor beside her, "He's done some really stupid things but we all have in our lifetime and now he's going to prove to us what kind of man he is. Sonny thinks that he's going to be good for the organization."

"Sonny told me that he doesn't discuss business with his wife."

"Sonny can sell that to whomever he wants but you and I know better," she smiled softly as she reached over and squeezed his hand gently, "You're exhausted Jason. I know that this is the last thing that you want to hear but I really think that you need to go home and get some sleep. You look like you're about ready to collapse."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "I'm in a hospital, sitting across from a nurse, if something happens to me, I'm in the best place."

"You were so moody without her."

"What?" he asked as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Before Elizabeth walked into your life, after she walked out, you were just miserable. I mean, before she was around you were okay, you were happy but you really didn't laugh a lot, at least your eyes didn't, now when you crack a joke your really cracking a joke."

"I don't think that I'm the one who needs sleep," he muttered.

"See?' she smiled as she rested her hand on his arm, "I'm glad that we're going to keep her around. I think that she is someone you need in your life. She needs you too but you aren't going to be of any help to her if you are dead on your feet."

"I'm not going home, Lily, so you can stop trying to persuade me too," Jason said.

"Did you ever think maybe she needs a break from you?" Lily asked.

Jason looked at her as he let out a slow breath and he could tell from the expression on Lily's face that she had realized what she had said too. She probably didn't mean to punch him in the gut like that, but she did nonetheless.

"Jason…" she said quietly.

"No, you're right," Jason said as he stood up and walked across the room, throwing his half empty coffee cup away, "I don't know why the hell I'm hanging around here. When she found out about the baby she did nothing but scream at me, then she pulled away, not just physically but her eyes, it's like there's nothing there Lily, it's like…it's like I'm looking in a damn mirror."

"Oh God, Jas," Lily whispered as she stood up and walked towards him.

"And you know what?" he said as he jammed his fingers through his spikes, "I'm trying to be there for her because it was our child she lost, it was my bullet that she took and I'm trying to be strong and I'm trying to tell her that I'm not going anywhere, trying to be her support all the while saying that I can't be what she wants me to be, I can't go back to bed partner that she knew. It's just…" he turned around and slammed his fist into the wall, "Why the fuck did this have to happen to us?"

"Everything happens for a reason," Lily said as her arms came around his waist, "I know that is the last thing that you want to hear Jason but you have to know that God didn't take this baby from you to hurt you, He must have realized that…"

"I know that," he said as he looked at her, anguish in his eyes, "And I told her that and I don't think that was what she wanted to hear but what else was there to say? I couldn't lie to her."

"It's not what you do," she said quietly as she stuffed her hands in her pockets, "Maybe I'll lie to her Jason. I'll tell her whatever she needs to hear so that she can lean on you."

"She can't lean on me," he said as his eyes moved down towards the hall again, "Elizabeth wants things to be just me and her, like the way they were before and it would be so damn easy to do that Lily, it would be so easy to slip into the club office and take her on that creaky wooden desk. It'd be easy to hide away in my room for days or shoot pool and drink a few beers, be so fucking easy to pretend that the piece of paper she gave me a few months ago was legitimate and that she really is eighteen," he looked down at her as a tear fell from his eye and he quickly brushed it away, "But she's not and the more I'm with her the more I find myself fighting to keep my hands off of her and I don't know how much longer I can do that."

Lily placed her hand on his back, "I know that you care about Elizabeth and I know that you would not want to do anything to put yourself, or her, or the organization at risk," she let out a small sigh, "I'm sure that Sonny can find someone that he can introduce you…"

Jason laughed, a harsh bitter laugh filled with a cold dose of reality.

"This is an itch a whore can't scratch," Jason said, "I'm in love with her Lily, how the fuck do I get over that?"

"Whoa!" Sly jumped back on the other side of the hospital door and let it slam shut in his face. He then heard the resounding thud of a plastic ice pitcher hit the floor. "I was told that it was safe to come in!"

"That's because Sonny refused to put up the 'Enter at your own risk' sign," Elizabeth huffed on the other end, "Might as well come in, everyone else does."

Sly poked his blond head in the door and gave her a small smile. She was finally sitting up in bed, her dark blue eyes flashing and staring out the small window that showed the sky line of Port Charles, small but still effective to glare at. He quietly slipped into the room and let the door close behind him, taking a few steps towards the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Let's cut to the chase," Elizabeth said, "Although I haven't talked to Lily I'm assuming that she's going to align with Sonny on this one and tell me that I need to give you another chance. I know how Jason feels but he hates just about everyone so I can't take him into consideration. I would ask my nurse Bobbie but you're related to her and that means more than the large tab I've run up at her place. Should we just shake hands or does this require a hug?"

"Hmm, ouch," Sly chuckled as he jammed his hands into his jeans, "I deserve that Lizzie, that and a whole lot more. I…"

"Were stuck on some fucking fence," she laughed, "Don't repeat that analogy, I nearly choked on it when Sonny told me."

"Analogy?" he asked with raised eyebrows, "I had one conversation with Sonny Corinthos and that involved me thinking about a position here and whether or not I was the one that brought Alcazar to his knees."

"Alcazar now?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "No more Luis?"

"Lizzie what do you want from me?" Sly asked, "Do you think this is how I wanted things to end? Do you think that I've been sitting in the fucking waiting room for the past two days, in bloody clothes, praying to whoever the hell runs this world, begging for your life simply because I had nothing better to do? I care about you, Lizzie, whether you want to believe that or not."

"I can't believe it!" she shouted as she slammed her fists against the mattresses, "My father swore that he cared about me, Luis' swore that he cared, Jason Morgan swore that he cared and fucking God swore that he cared and you know what? I'm a fucking widow with a millions of dollars in my pocket, one man holding me close and pushing me away at the same time and a big ass hole in my stomach that is not the result of a bullet wound. So you tell me Sly, why the hell am I supposed to believe you of all people?"

"Because I was there Lizzie," Sly said, "Yeah I stood on the damn sidelines and you know what I saw? I saw this shy little girl turn into this amazing young woman. Oh fuck yeah you were messed up and fuck yeah I helped with it but my God, look what you turned out to be, look what you survived. You have got to be the strongest person that I know and I know that you are going to make it through this. Fuck Morgan, fuck Corinthos, fuck God if you have to, you follow your instincts baby because they're what got you through this alive," he ran his fingers through his hair and looked away from her, "Corinthos offered me a job, I guess as some back up to Morgan, and I told him I'd be around as long as you wanted me. You want me gone I'm gone, you want me in Chicago with you, I'm there as well."

"How did you know about Chicago?" she asked.

"Lizzie Webber does not back down from a fight," he said with a grin, "And Chicago is going to be looking for a fight."

"Sonny agreed to let me go there," she said, "With Jason."

"And you don't want to?"

"Why the hell do I want to be in the company of a man who can't even stand to look at me?"

Sly laughed softly, "Lizzie, I don't think any man has a problem with looking at you."

"He does," she whispered as she looked down at her hands, "He can't stand to look at the woman…the girl who lost his baby."

"What?" Sly asked and then lurched forward, "Elizabeth, what did you say?"

"I lost a baby," she whispered as she looked up at Sly, "A baby that was barely developing, a baby that was created in the heat of the moment, in an embrace that was filled with hatred and passion and love. I just…" she tried to pull away from him as he gathered her in his arms and the tears started again, "I just lost the only part of Jason Morgan that I had left."


	30. Chapter 30

Elizabeth looked around the hospital room that had been her home for the past two weeks of her life. She had slept there, ate there and threw her fits there but now it was time to leave and while she loved the idea of getting the hell out of this hospital she was afraid of what was on the other side of that door.

Absolutely nothing.

She had nowhere to go. The only reason she had the clothes on her back was because she had talked Sly into going out and getting her something. He knew her well enough to know her size and her taste and she felt more comfortable asking him than she did Lily who had been more than generous with her.

Sly was currently staying in a room above Kelly's which was too small even for him. He had offered to allow Elizabeth to stay with him but there was no way she was going to put him on the floor. Granted he probably deserved it but she was not one to kick someone out of their own bed.

The last home that she had known had been the one with Jason Morgan. The man she had barely seen over the last two weeks.

Refusing to go there, to even think about something that would just make her angry again, just bring on more tears that she didn't want to cry Elizabeth zipped the new duffel bag Sly threw her clothes in and hoisted it over her shoulder. It was time to go out and face the real world. She just hoped she didn't have to go back to square one.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving without your taxi," Lily smiled as she stepped into the hospital room, "Well limo," she rolled her eyes, "I tried to tell Sonny that he was over doing it but he wouldn't listen. He actually wanted to come but I managed to talk him out of that."

"Wait," Elizabeth laughed softly as she held her hand up, "Lily you're making me dizzy."

"Okay," Lily laughed softly as she approached Elizabeth and took her bag from her, "Nice and slow, I'm here…to take you…home."

"Home?"

"Yes," Lily smiled, "Are you feeling alright? Are you sure you're ready to leave?"

"I'm more than ready to leave," Elizabeth groaned.

Lily laughed, "You sound like my husband. What's going on sweetie?"

"I don't…" Elizabeth looked down at her hands, feeling very much like the vulnerable little girl that was lost in the bright lights of a club three years ago, "I don't have anyplace to go Lily, I don't have anything set up right now and I don't have any money."

"Damn that man," Lily said dropping Elizabeth's bag on the bed, "He told me that he would…" She smiled as she ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, "Sonny runs the largest organization on the east coast and yet I still have a hard time getting him to call the plumber, this shouldn't surprise me that he hasn't talked to you."

"Talked to me? About what?"

Lily motioned for Elizabeth to sit back down on the hospital bed and then she joined her, reaching for the younger woman's hand and squeezing it tightly. This reminded her so much of the time when Elizabeth was leaving town and Lily couldn't do a thing about it. This time she made sure that she could.

"Sonny and I," Lily smiled softly, "Would be honored if you would stay with us."

"Stay with you? At your home?" Elizabeth practically squeaked, "Lily, no, I couldn't. You have the kids, there couldn't possibly be any room."

"There is plenty of room," Lily said, "And this isn't just…we don't want you to just move in with us we want you to be a part of our family. I already think of you that way, Elizabeth, you should know that."

"I do," Elizabeth said quietly, "You don't know how much you mean to me Lily. I feel that I'm doing nothing more than taking advantage of you."

"That's nonsense," Lily said, "Sonny and I want you in our lives, in our children's lives, they want you to come live with us. They're asking for Aunt 'Lizabeth."

Elizabeth laughed softly, "I can do that. I can stay for a little while until I…"

"When I said that I wanted you to become a part of our family I mean literally, legally," Lily said softly as she tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear and smiled, "I know that you are probably going to be upset with us for doing this but when you were admitted into the hospital Sonny and I applied for legal guardianship of you."

"What?" Elizabeth whispered. Her eyes became glassy again, something that she had been familiar with over the past two weeks, something she hated but that happened nonetheless and she didn't stop the tears as they started to slowly slide down her face.

"We also filed the adoption paperwork as well but we know that those things could take years and you're going to be eighteen in another twelve months so that was just something we did to prove that we want you around."

"I can't…" Elizabeth pressed a hand over her lips when she let out a soft cry.

"Elizabeth, honey," Lily said softly as she wiped away the young woman's tears.

"You have no idea what it's like to be wanted," Elizabeth whispered, "My father threw me to the wolves, he got rid of me as fast as he could and no one else…all I ever was to people was a fuck buddy, some plaything and you…you actually want to bring me into your home and make me a part of your life, even after all that I've done to you."

"Your deceased husband has done that to us, to all of us, including you," Lily said firmly as she took both of Elizabeth's hands in hers, "We're not going to force the adoption because of your age but when the judge questions us about guardianship you are going to have to decide whether or not you want to stay with us until you are eighteen. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, eighteen, twenty-one, twenty-five, forty," Lily laughed softly, "The judge just needs to know where you want to be."

"There's no question," Elizabeth laughed softly, "There is no question where I'm going to be, I can't…" she leaned over and hugged Lily tightly, "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. You've been here everyday, Sonny at least every other. Lily, I don't know if I would've made it through sanely if you hadn't visited me while I was locked up in these white walls."

"You're a strong woman, you would've made it through," Lily smiled as she slid off the bed and picked up Elizabeth's bag again, "Now come, Johnny is waiting and he is in for the surprise of his life. We're not going home right away."

"We're not?"

"Nope," Lily grinned, "If you're not opposed and you feel up to it I'd love to take you shopping."

"Lily I don't…"

"Oh Elizabeth, it's not my money," Lily laughed as she held open the hospital door, "We're burning a hole through Sonny's pocket."

"Well in that case," Elizabeth laughed.

"They aren't here yet," Sonny said when he heard the door close to his penthouse suite. He then looked up from a mound of paperwork and grinned at Jason, "But I've got a whiskey waiting for you."

Jason nearly shuddered at the thought of anything other than his beer but the woman that he couldn't get off of his mind for the past two weeks would be coming home from the hospital today and she would be living just across the hall from him, barely twenty steps away.

The lord was testing his resistance.

He walked over to Sonny's mini bar and picked up the tumbler that was half filled with a dark liquid. He eyed it distastefully but threw it back anyway, letting it burn down his throat and settle in his empty stomach. He winced before he placed it back down on the bar and made his way to the single chair that was cattycorner to the couch.

"I'm not going to make you talk about it," Sonny said as he flipped another page, "But you're over here for a reason and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the contracts in front of me," the don looked over at his enforcer, "I think it's best you tell someone what the hell has been going on for the past two weeks."

"What does that mean?" Jason asked defensively, "I've come to work; I've done my job…"

"That's exactly what I mean," Sonny said slapping the paperwork down on the coffee table in front of him, "You've just lost a child Jason, the woman that you love is lying in a hospital…"

"I don't want to talk about this," Jason said as he got up and ran his fingers through his hair, "Pick another subject."

"Why the hell have you been avoiding Elizabeth?" Sonny asked, "Lily has been with her everyday and I've been there too, so the hell has Eckert and you are nowhere in sight."

"I'm out doing my damn job," Jason said through gritted teeth.

"A job I didn't ask you to do," Sonny said, "Elizabeth needs you right now and I know that you are hurting just as much as she is. I wish the two of you would see that you need each other more than you need this damn brick wall you built between the two of you."

"I am not what Elizabeth needs," Jason said, "And I think you and Lily need to start realizing that. She needs something that I can't be," he hesitated as he looked away from his mentor, "I'm going to let Sly be that instead."

"Don't," Sonny said shaking his head, "Don't tell me that you have some crazy notion Jason that she is…"

"She was with him before," Jason said, his blue eyes flashing, "He understands what she went through. He was there with her. He can be her support."

"It wasn't Sly's child."

"It wasn't mine either," Jason said quietly, "It was Elizabeth's and my bullet destroyed that child and I'm more worried and frustrated and pissed off that she seems to be taking two steps back instead of moving forward. She's finally free now, Sonny, and it's like she doesn't know what to do with that freedom."

"I can't think of a better man to show it to her."

"I can't be that man."

"Why not?" Sonny asked standing up from the couch, "You've been everything else that I've asked you to be, why the hell is it so hard for you to be something for Elizabeth?"

"Because you can't be a friend to the person you are in love with!" Jason shouted and then growled frustrated, running his hands over his face, "You can't…you can't have a friendly hug or share a friendly kiss. There is no friendly laughter between you, no friendly secrets, no friendly winks. Nothing is friendly when you're in love with that other person, everything is more. The laughter is strained, the hug is awkward and you certainly can't kiss the person. Elizabeth…" he stopped and licked his lips, looking away again from Sonny, "I can't watch her date someone else and I can't watch her fall in love with another person. I can't watch her…I can't watch her be with another person, not up close, not as her friend, so it's easier to stay away, to put that distance there. It will hurt so much less in the end."

"You think so?" Sonny asked approaching his friend, "You think its easier for her to have Lily picking her up at the hospital in a limo than it is for you to walk in that door with a helmet in your hand? You have no idea what her face looks like Jason when that hospital door opens and she thinks it was you on the other side; you have no idea the devastation that appeared in her eyes when she realized it was only me or Lily or yeah, even Sly. You have no idea."

"I do," Jason said as he felt the tears gather in his eyes but he quickly blinked them away, "I watched her face every night when she slept and I was the reason that she had cold chocolate milk every morning. I was there when she cried out in her dreams, I was the comforting voice on the other end of those nightmares and I'm the one that had to tear myself away when the sun came up because I knew me staying there would bring nothing more than heartache and pain."

"Jason…"

"You know that I can't be with her, not in the way that we truly need each other Sonny," Jason snapped, "So stop fighting this, it's done, it's over with. Elizabeth can move on without me, she's got Sly, she's got you, she's got Lily, the kids. She'll be fine."

"I hope to God you come to your senses before it's too late," Sonny said quietly as he slid his hands in his pockets and stared down at his leather shoes. He then looked up at Jason again, all business, "You want to keep your mind off of things? I've got a job for you."

Jason nodded, "What do you need me to do?"

"You're going to Chicago," Sonny said and shrugged slightly, "For a few days, get some things settled, and then you're coming right back here, no arguments, no reprieves. The jet will be ready to leave whenever you are."

"You want me in Chicago?" Jason asked, "Isn't that kind of dangerous with the word going around that I…" he turned when he heard the door open behind him and the sound of female laughter. He felt his heart drop to his stomach when he saw Elizabeth and Lily enter the penthouse, their arms filled with bags and Johnny following behind him, amidst dozens of boxes.

"Just drop them by the door," Sonny grinned as he walked over and kissed his wife, "How was the outing?"

"Wonderful mi esposo," Lily smiled as she placed her bags down next to the boxes. She then reached for Elizabeth's and noticed that the young woman's eyes were directed at Jason. Lily suddenly felt the temperature in the room go up about twenty degrees, "I'll have to show you all the things we bought later," she smiled as she stepped in front of Elizabeth and linked their arms, "Elizabeth has agreed to move in. Isn't that wonderful Jason?"

"Great," Jason said quietly as the two women came to stand before him, "Hello Elizabeth."

"Hi," Elizabeth whispered as she reached up and tucked a strand of hair between her ear. She looked over at Lily and then back at Sonny who was lingering by the doorway. "I appreciate everything that everyone has done for me but I think that it's time we put aside the distractions and deal with the big issue here." She removed her arm from Lily's and stepped towards Sonny, "It's been two weeks, I held up my end of the bargain. When does the plane leave for Chicago?"

"What?" Jason nearly shouted which caused Lily to jump.

"You know what?" Lily said, "This is business and I have to go pick up the kids from Mike's. He's waiting for me," she smiled as she planted a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"That never stopped you before," Sonny frowned.

"Yes well the way he's looking at her now, I'd run if I were you," Lily whispered to Sonny before kissing him again, "Love you, see you soon."

Sonny growled as the door was shut in his face and he heaved a sigh before he turned around to the people in the penthouse with him who stood only inches apart, ready to do battle with one another.

Hey, at least they were talking again.

"You are not going to Chicago," Jason said as he glared at Elizabeth and then looked up towards Sonny, "She is not going to Chicago."

"Hello," Elizabeth said snapping her fingers in Jason's face, "I am right here and I am going. Sonny and I had this conversation two weeks ago," she turned around towards him, "Apparently he doesn't remember to speak to people about things."

Sonny gave her his famous dimples, "Slipped my mind?"

"Hmm, I bet," Elizabeth said as she folded her arms across her chest, "I told you that I'd go alone or that I'd take Sly. He's willing to take the risk," she said as her eyes darted towards Jason.

"This isn't about risks," Jason said, "This is about you, someone who was nearly killed two weeks ago, staying at home, in bed, taking it easy. There's no need to go chasing after some measly little empire."

"Measly little," Elizabeth stamped her foot and made sure that her heel was planted on the toes of Jason Morgan, "That is _my_ measly little empire Morgan and you best well remember that. My _measly_ little empire could probably outsell your puny little warehouse. Sorry Sonny," she called over her shoulder.

Sonny held up his hands to mean no offense and kept his mouth shut.

"So you," Elizabeth yelled wagging a finger at Jason, "Can take your tail, stick it between your legs, walk back across the hall, place some fucking pool and choke on your damn beer. I'm going where I want, when I want and with whom I want. You can't stop me."

"Want to bet?" Jason asked with raised eyebrows.

Sonny cleared his throat behind them, "If you two are finished?" he asked and then started towards them, "I promised Elizabeth that she could go to Chicago to take care of her affairs, those pertaining to her husband's estate. We agreed that it would only take a few days. Isn't that right Elizabeth?"

"Yeah, something like that," Elizabeth muttered before glaring at Jason again.

"I would rather Elizabeth be escorted to the city by the men I trust the most," Sonny said, "Sure, Sly could get in easier but we don't know if people bought that we killed Alcazar because of the territory thing, besides," he shrugged, "He has a quick temper," Sonny grinned at Jason, "Apparently so do you."

"Get to the point," Jason grunted.

"Right," Sonny said still smiling, "And I need Johnny and Francis. That leaves you Jason. I trust you, with my life, with my family's life and Elizabeth is part of that family now," he shrugged again, "If you feel that you can't handle the job..."

Jason rolled his eyes. Sonny was actually stooping this low.

"I can handle it without him," Elizabeth said, "In fact, I'm going to pack," she walked back over to her sea of bags and plucked out the important ones, "I'll be back down in an hour and ready to go to the airport Sonny, with or without Mr. Morgan there," she shook her head sadly, "I would've never guessed that the big bad enforcer thing was just an act, sad really."

"Funny thing is," Jason said with a humorless chuckle, "You're now young enough to take over my knee."

Elizabeth growled at him and stormed up the stairs with a shake of her fist, her shopping bags banging against the walls beside her. Sonny walked up towards Jason, sighing and rubbing his hand along the back of his neck.

"I am going to need her back in one piece Jason."

"Don't worry Sonny, I won't harm a hair on her head," he said as he moved past his boss towards the front door, heading across the hall to his penthouse where he could pack his own things for the upcoming trip to the Midwest.

He could easily promise that he'd never harm a hair on Elizabeth's head, but the idea of putting her over his knee was becoming mighty tempting.


	31. Chapter 31

Elizabeth drummed her fingernails against the leather armrest in the limo. They were pulling up to the front of _Maoni's_, the plush Italian restaurant that was in the heart of southern Chicago. It was an eatery that was open to the public, but very few had the courage to step over the threshold of a place that was owned and designed specifically for the mid-west Mafia.

It was exactly why Elizabeth chose this place to have a meeting with her deceased husband's lawyer and a few of his questionable cohorts. She had set it up before Sonny's private jet even landed in the city and she was ready to go before the limo had arrived to pick them up. The problem lie with the man who was still fuming beside her.

Why she didn't have someone check his luggage beforehand was beyond her but Jason had it in his head that things were run the same all over and they weren't. You simply could not walk into a Mafia restaurant dressed in casual wear and the Borg beside her packed nothing but tee shirts and jeans.

"We're here," he said as he reached for his door handle, "Let's try and get this done all in one seating okay? I'd like to get back to Port Charles as fast as we can."

"And I'd like to make sure that I have a secure life for myself," she snapped, "I don't want to have to depend on the charity of others for the rest of my life. It's bad enough you talked me into allowing some of your friends out here to provide us with this limo and extra guards."

"Come on now Elizabeth, even you have to admit that it would have been very idiotic to walk into this city with no one behind your back except me and a single weapon."

That was true, it would have been, but she wasn't about to admit anything to him. She just simply smirked and smiled at the driver who held her door open for her. She allowed him to take her hand and her brand new black leather pumps clicked quietly against the asphalt. She straightened her black suit jacket and smoothed a wrinkle from her matching pants, turning as Jason came around from the other side of the limousine. She had a red silk blouse underneath, making sure that her fingernails and lip color matched perfectly.

Red was Luis' favorite color on her and she was here to honor him after all.

Slipping her bright red clutch purse under her arm she led the way into the restaurant and smiled at the hostess who was familiar with the petite brunette. Elizabeth followed the woman into the back of the restaurant, far away from prying eyes and busy ears, to an alcove where a long rectangular table was set up. There were two guards poised at the alcove, hers was added as the third, and she stopped, nodding her thanks to the hostess and giving her sweetest smile to the gentlemen around her as Jason pulled out her chair.

"I do apologize for being late, I'm afraid I was held up," she said as she pulled out her napkin and laid it across her pants, "I fear that I've heard some rather disturbing news when I reached town. I've been locked out of my own home. Care to explain that, Mr. Johansson?"

The wiry lawyer who sat across from her tugged at his tie and shifted in his chair, moving uncomfortably closer to one of Luis' businessmen. She never understood what he saw in the slick attorney. He was too nervous for his own good and that wasn't something that would bode well when dealing with the enemy.

When she turned to motion for a waiter she realized that the lawyer's eyes weren't on her but on Jason who was glaring daggers at the man.

"Mr. Johansson, I'm over here, if you please," Elizabeth smiled and then turned her brilliant charm on the waiter, "Glass of merlot and bottle of Yuengling please."

The waiter cleared his throat, "May I see your identification ma'am?"

Jason didn't hide a chuckle, one of the bulky business men, Myers, slammed his fist on the table, causing the silverware and the waiter to jump before nervous Mr. Johansson jumped in.

"This is the widow of Mr. Luis Alcazar, please bring her what she requests and place it on my tab."

"Yes sir," the young man nodded and hurried off quickly.

"Well I must say that was something that hasn't happened to me in a very long time," she smirked, "Someone questioning my age. Lord knows none of the men at this table gave a damn about how old I was when I was tricked into marrying the bastard who is now burning in hell."

"Mrs. Alcazar…"

"It's Ms. Webber now Mr. Johansson and I suggest you present me with the key to my home this instant before I fly my own lawyer out here and have a judge woken up in the middle of the night due to your incompetence," she snarled as she tried to prevent her hands from curling into tiny fists on her lap, "Furthermore I am aware, as are all of the men sitting here at this table, that Luis' had no will, he was an ass that way, and therefore everything, and I mean _everything_, reverts to me. Get me the paperwork, I want it signed and I want the deeds handed over before the sun disappears from the sky tomorrow," she cooed when the glass of merlot was placed in front of her and smiled up at the waiter. "So prompt."

Jason twisted the cap off of his beer with his bare hand and look a long swig, hoping this wouldn't take much longer.

"You see Mrs.…Ms. Webber, the gentlemen here, Mr. Myers, Mr. Richards and Mr. Peterman aren't really sure that a young woman like yourself will be able to properly handle running Mr. Alcazar's empire on your own," Mr. Johansson said as he reached into his briefcase for something and started to slide a silver key towards Elizabeth only to have it snapped up by Jason who then held it out to the young woman, "To the house, ma'am."

"Thank you," she smiled and gave it back to Jason, "Please, keep close watch on that for me dear." She then turned her fiery blue eyes on the men in front of her, "I'm afraid that I don't care what Myers, Richards or Peterman say about who runs what. This is my empire now and if you have a problem with how things are being handled than you could go work elsewhere."

"It's not that," Myers smiled from across the table as he reached out and took Elizabeth's hand. He then leaned up and bent over, placing a wet kiss on it and she resisted the urge from taking her delicate hand and using it to slap him across the face, "We just feel Ms. Webber that you would best be suited with the aide of one of us."

"Why, Mr. Myers," she smiled pressing that very hand to her chest, "Are you insinuating that you'd like to help me run my empire, that you'd show me how to run things, that you'd teach me everything, simply everything, that I need to know," she picked up her glass and took a small sip as she watched Jason down another swig out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm willing, ready and able to teach you _everything _that you need to know," Myers said, "The boys are allowing me the opportunity to work with you."

"Mmm, wonder if they worked out a little deal on the side," she murmured looking over Richards and Peterman before her eyes fell back on Myers who's foot was now trying to slide up her pant leg. "And tell me, Mr. Myers, what is in it for me? I mean, you are offering to show me, everything," she took another sip of her glass, "I'm assuming that means you want a bigger percentage in the businesses."

"Of course," Myers replied smoothly, "I would think of it as a partnership, one in which we would both be benefiting. I will share my knowledgeable skills with you and you in return can teach me a few things that I have yet to learn."

Elizabeth had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue but the click of a trigger left it stuck there.

"I suggest you remove your foot from between Ms. Webber's thighs before I see that it is removed permanently," Jason said as he made his silver Glock clearly visible for the rest of the patrons at the table, "Ms. Webber has made her terms clear and I expect them to be adhered to." He watched out of the corner of his eye when Peterman started to reach inside of his jacket, "We're not alone here in this city and we plan on staying at Alcazar's tonight where I'm assured that his home is a virtual fortress. I advise that you don't try anything stupid."

"I brought Mr. Morgan here because he has a habit of shooting first and asking questions later," Elizabeth said throwing her napkin back on the table and standing up, picking up her glass and quickly downing the rest of her merlot, "If you don't believe me, ask Luis. The paperwork by sundown tomorrow, you can meet me at my home. As for you three, you're fired. Jason, I think we're done here."

Jason finished off his beer with one long gulp and slammed the bottle back down on the table so hard that it shattered. He smirked as all four men who was sitting across from them jumped back.

"Agreed sweetheart," Jason then took her by the elbow and led the way out of the alcove with the bodyguard following behind them. Elizabeth tried to pull away but he had a firm grip and didn't have any intention of letting go.

"You couldn't have held off on pulling that gun out?" she seethed as they quickly approached the limo in the parking lot.

"You never had a problem with me pulling my gun before, Elizabeth."

She turned around to snap at him, to tell him to take his sexual innuendos and shove them up his ass because he was the one pushing her away, but she halted when she saw the look in his blue eyes; the look of concern.

"For what it's worth, thank you," she said quietly.

He nodded as he helped her into the limo, "You're welcome."

Elizabeth stood in the long second floor hallway of the Alcazar estate. She was staring at two large white wooden doors with shiny brass handles that had a key dangling from one of them. This was the master suite, the room where she had lived for nearly a year of her life as the wife of the mob boss of Chicago.

She could easily sleep in a guest room, hell one of the velvet couches downstairs would probably be more comfortable then climbing into the silk sheets that covered a king size bed where she performed intimate acts for a man she could barely stand, let alone love.

And just down the hall, only a few doors away, lay a man that she did love, that she did want and he was doing nothing but putting a brick wall between them, all because she was born one year too late.

Sighing she reached out for the door knob and turned it, yanking the key and throwing it behind her. Luis has a lock put in to make sure that she stayed put at night when he had to leave to do other things. He didn't realize that she was still a teenager and they did crazy stunts like tie bed sheets together and climb out the window. Once she was caught doing that locks went on the windows as well.

It was different being in here without him. She had spent time alone in this room but knowing that he wasn't going to come in and demand sexual gratification or simply disturb the solace she sometimes found behind the large wooden doors made it a little bit easier to breath.

But everything was still the same, the large bed in the middle of the room, the his and her dresser sets and closet spaces, his black slippers under his side of the bed, her prim white ones under hers. It looked like a bedroom fit for a king and queen, better yet, she thought with a smirk, for a lord and his moll.

Elizabeth stepped further into the room and made her way to the armoire that Luis' had flown in from Italy. Beautiful things did come from Italy; she just wished they didn't come from him. Opening it with her tiny fingers she found the three shelves just as he had left them, lace teddy's on the top, baby doll pieces in the middle, and all other lingerie on the bottom. The attire she was deemed to where every night for a man who barely loved her properly.

She pulled out a red silk nightie and ran it between her fingers, remembering when Luis' presented it to her on their wedding night, asking her to wear it for him. She was able to hide the tears until she had reached the bathroom to change. She had always dreamed of wearing white on her wedding night for her husband but no, Luis wanted red, and Luis always got what he had wanted. He had loved her tenderly that night, surprising her with his gentleness and that made his promise of loving her and only her forever even more believable.

The next night was different, everything was signed, sealed and consummated and Luis no longer had to pretend to be a decent human being. He took her on the floor and then once more when she had finally found the strength to climb back into bed.

Never again had she known a man's loving touch until she had met Jason Morgan.

And Jason would never touch her again because she was too young, because she was robbed of her innocence and he didn't want to partake in that. It was Luis' fault, and her father's and Sly's and the entire organization, and the world for allowing this to happen.

Elizabeth started grabbing the flimsy pieces that were bought at places like Victoria's Secret and Fredericks of Hollywood and threw them over her shoulder, back onto the silk covered bed. It wasn't fair that this happened to her, she never asked for this lot in life. Was it too much to want some perky breasts and meat on her bones before she reached the age of fifteen?

"Careful what you wish for, Lizzie." She chided herself as she slammed the doors shut to the armoire and made her way over to her dresser, the one the came from England.

Her hidden stash of cigarettes had to be still in there. Luis' never searched this dresser; this was the one that held things he thought were unheard of for a wife of a mob boss; jeans and sweatpants. She started throwing those clothes over her shoulder as well, searching until she reached the bottom of a drawer where she found a still sealed pack of cigarettes and a pack of matches.

She was grateful that she had run out the door when she left Luis and didn't have time to pack her much craved cigarettes. She grabbed the pack, slammed it against her palm and then ripped it open, pulling a slim stick from the package before she slipped it between her lips and flicked a match, lighting it.

Inhaling a long drag she then exhaled it with a smirk. Luis hated smoking, he called it a disgusting habit, and that gave her all the more reason to have a smoke or two in their bedroom and watch his face curl in disgust when he found she had been partaking in the horrid activity.

She walked towards the bed, puffing away, eyeing it with distaste as she flicked some of the ash on her pretty nightgowns. She loathed them, she loathed this multi-million dollar home and suddenly she loathed everything that she had become.

Elizabeth Webber, mob queen.

Dropping the cigarette on the bed Elizabeth plucked out another match and flicked the top of the pack over, sliding the match through the back and yanking it out, her eyes gleaming as the fire burned so close to her fingertips. She licked her lips and tossed it on the bed. Then she light another, then another, then another until the entire pack was gone and a small fire was starting to roar in the center of the mattresses where she was treated like a whore.

"Burn," she whispered as the flames started to leap, "Burn in hell Luis, burn in hell."

Jason jumped out of bed startled, reaching for his gun underneath the pillowcase that lay beside him on the bed. Something was off, he felt it, his gut was twisted in knots as his heart started to race.

There was something wrong with Elizabeth.

He jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of sweatpants, checking his gun to make sure that it was cocked before he quietly made his way to his door and opened it slowly. The hallway was brightly light but completely empty and it smelled as if something was burning.

Sticking his head further out Jason looked right and then left and he noticed a small cloud of smoke filtering from the room that Elizabeth said she would be staying in this evening. He threw the door open the rest of the way and ran down the hall in his bare feet, gun at his side as he called out her name.

He came to an abrupt stop at the sight before him.

She was standing just a few feet from the door in her bedroom, watching as a hole was being burned into a mattress. A pack of cigarettes were clutched in her hand, the cellophane still clinging to them as the fire started to slowly die out, pieces of shiny material still visible from its wake.

He made one step into the room when she rounded on him.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said brushing past him, heading out into the hall and going heaven knows where.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth, hang on," he said hurrying after her and placing the safety on his gun, "Is there a fire extinguisher or something around here? We need to take care of that. What the hell happened?" he looked down at the red mark on her hand, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, "Let it burn, let the whole fucking house burn. I don't care anymore. This was wrong, it was stupid, I don't want any of this and yet I have to take it. I have to make something out of this horrible mess."

"No you don't." Jason said shaking his head, "Elizabeth, Sonny and Lily, they want to help take care of you. They want you to be a part of your family; they want to see you become something wonderful. You don't have to do any of this, not for them."

"And what about you, Jas?" she asked quietly as she reached out and pressed her burned hand against his naked chest, "Don't you want to help me?"

"You know that I can't," he said looking away from her, "You know that it's impossible for us to…"

She growled as she scrapped her nails down his chest, causing him to cry out and leaving a trail of bright red marks, "If you ever mention my age again I swear to you I will hit you Jason Morgan!" she screamed and started walking away from him, back down the ridiculously long hallway, "You should understand better than anyone else why I have to do this. You yourself had to get away."

"You have nothing to prove," Jason said trying to keep up with her, "Just trying to show everyone that you're an adult is…"

"Oh I am done doing that," she snapped again as she rounded on him, "Because me trying to prove myself to you has done nothing but give me grief. It doesn't matter to you that I've been a stripper, it doesn't matter to you that I've been married, it doesn't matter to you that I've seen more violent things in my short lifetime than cops have seen in their whole career and it certainly doesn't matter to you that I lost a baby because to you Jason Morgan age is simply a number and since I'm not eighteen well than I'm still a fucking child."

"Do not bring our child into this," he said through gritted teeth as those blue eyes blazed, "I am hurting just as much as…"

"I know," she whispered as she looked away from him, as those familiar tears crept up in her eyes, "I know you're hurting and I'm trying not to make it worse but there's so much I have to do, so much that has to be done and I have to make sure that I do it all, me, no one else and with very little help."

"Elizabeth…"

"I have no high school diploma, I have no college experience," she said as she wiped at her eyes, "I'm going on what I've heard in the back offices and the books I was allowed to play around with. I have a couple of weeks of managing experience and I know how to run payroll. I'm going to make something of myself or else I'm going to die trying, Jason."

"But you don't have to…"

She laughed, sadly and shook her head before she turned her back on him and started down the hallway again, towards the stairs where she would seek some rest on one of those plush velvet couches.

"Yes I do Jason and I thought you of all people would understand that," she looked back at him while her red hand gripped the staircase banister, "My mistake."

Then she slowly started down the stairs, disappearing into the darkness, and wishing for the first time since it happened that Luis' bullet had taken her life.


	32. Chapter 32

Elizabeth shook the snow from her hair as she made her way up the stairs in Kelly's diner. It was bitterly cold out this evening and both Sonny and Lily told her she was crazy to make the trek halfway across town in this weather, but she insisted and Jason remained mute about it.

It would've been hard to explain to the man that she loved why she needed to be with a man she used to love on one of the happiest days of the year. It was just something that Elizabeth had to do, because this day wasn't happy for her, and she knew that this day was never happy for Sly either.

She raised her mitten covered hand and knocked on the door, giving him a small smile when he pulled it open in nothing more than a pair of jeans with a bottle of Corona in his hand.

"Merry Christmas."

"Bah hum bug."

She laughed softly and stepped into his one-room apartment at Kelly's. Elizabeth thought this would have been a difficult adjustment for him, after all the man was coming from a penthouse much like the one Jason and Sonny resided in but Sly turned out to be a chameleon, easily adapting to a new environment.

She just wished that her adaptation was going as well.

"No spreading good tidings and joy at the Corinthos household?" he asked as he made his way over to his small refrigerator and pulled out another beer for her.

"We had dinner, turkey and ham with all the trimmings, two different kinds of potatoes, stuffing, and vegetables. The guards joined us too," she said as she pulled off her gloves and pea coat, "I watched the children open their presents this morning. It was nice."

"It was nice for them," Sly said handing her the beer, "A bitch for you."

"I couldn't very well tell them that," Elizabeth said as she made her way over to the only window in Sly's room, watching as the snow continued to fall. She turned and smiled sadly at him before she made herself comfortable in a bright blue disc chair. "You should've seen all the things they bought me."

"Spoiling the hell out of you eh?" he asked as he settled down on the bed, resting his back against the headboard, "Cars and furs?"

"I wish," she laughed as she took a sip of her beer, "It would've been easier to take if Sonny and Lily just bought me all the fancy things that Luis did for the past two years of my life. But no, the Corinthos' aren't like that, they're good people." She looked up at him and laughed bitterly, "I got supplies for when I start college in January, bus tokens because Sonny knows that I won't allow a driver to take me. He even got my GED framed. I got jeans and sweaters so that I'm not always dressed like a business woman. They bought me my own phone line for my room and my own cell phone since I obviously cut off the number that Luis gave me."."

"The kids," she laughed as she felt tears hit her eyes, "God the kids, Adella picked out all these hair accessories for me, and with the help of his Mommy, Morgan picked out some make up. Lily gave me the tiniest diamond earrings. The best gift of all was Jason Morgan, just sitting there, taking it all in, with that stone façade on his face. I just wish that Sonny and Lily would've done the same."

"Why didn't you tell them how you feel, Lizzie?" he asked as he watched her climb out of the chair and start to pace in front of the window, "Why didn't you just explain to them that Christmas means shit to you and you'd rather not celebrate it."

"Because Christmas means something to the Corinthos family," Elizabeth said and then sighed, taking another long swig from her beer. "We went to midnight mass and Adella and Morgan were so well behaved. They had breakfast ordered in for us and we didn't dare have lunch because it was too much. We spent the day playing with the children's new toys while Lily hounded the men to stop talking business. I helped with dinner, Sonny carved the Turkey, Jason tried to cut the ham and this…this was what I was suppose to get from my own damn family and I didn't and now I finally have it after all these years and I just…"

"Hey, hey," Sly said as he placed his beer down and hurried off of the bed, pulling the crying woman into his arms, "Lizzie, the last couple months have been hell for you. It's understandable that this is all a little too much."

"I feel so ungrateful," she sniffled, "I feel like everything should be falling into place, and it's not. I'm so out of whack, Sly. I'm so used to being treated like shit that I don't know how to feel about being treated well. Plus my hormones are still going crazy and I have yet to get my period again after I…"

Sly stepped back from her and held his hands up, "That is what you and Lily talk about, not you and me."

She laughed as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, "And I knew that coming here to you would make it a little bit better. I know that you hate Christmas as much as I do. You'd rather lock yourself up in your room with heavy metal music and good beer."

"Actually porn and cheap beer but I settled for your version," he grinned as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Christmas hasn't been worth celebrating to me since I lost my parents, but the last few years," he shook his head, "You kind of made it fun Lizzie, always glaring at Luis when he bought you things that you'd rather throw in the trash. That put a smile on my face."

"I wish that things had worked out differently for you Sly," she said quietly, "You deserve so much more than this. After all that you've been through, you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy, Lizzie girl," Sly said, "With the way I was born and raised I think it's better that I walk the line with the law rather than be on the wrong side of it. Those were basically my only choices and I don't regret taking this one. We, you and I, we don't have it that bad. Yeah our asses are going to get dragged down to the police station a time or two and hell I don't like being trained by, what did you call him, a Borg?"

"I was mad at him," she muttered, "I'm working through that."

"So things are getting better?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Elizabeth nodded, making her way back over to the window, "I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop still. I mean, Chicago was cleaned up rather quickly, too quickly, and I'm afraid that something screwy is going to happen with the transfer of businesses between Chicago and Port Charles. Jason…after that one argument we backed off, took a look at what was happening and calmed down."

She turned and smiled at him, "I calmed down. He's still keeping his distance. He's afraid that if we're in the same room together I'm going to pounce on him and he's not going to be able to resist me."

"Who would Lizzie?" Sly winked as he picked up his beer again.

"I respect Jason's decision," she said as she placed her empty beer bottle down on the window sill and pulled Sly's window open, "If he needs me to stay away, I'll stay away."

"It is like twenty degrees out, Lizzie," Sly said scratching his head, "I don't think you should have the window open."

She laughed as she poked her head out of the window and then stuck her tongue out, tasting the snowflakes that were falling from the sky, before she came back in and shut the window again. She took her empty beer bottle and dropped it in the trashcan.

"Before it was shitty," she said, "Before I was sold to the devil and abandoned by someone who helped bring me into this world, it was good. Every Christmas we use to go out into the woods and find a Christmas tree and cut it down and drag it back to the car and tie it up nice and tight. It was something my father and mother started when they first got married. I wasn't a big fan of it."

"Getting a Christmas tree? Why not?" he asked curiously.

"I always thought trees looked better in the forest," she smiled wistfully, "You know what the pine cones and the snow all on them and they smelled so fresh and clean. I just think they should be left alone."

"And you'd throw the lights and ornaments on right there?" he grinned.

"Sly," Elizabeth laughed.

"You're not happy with staying away Lizzie. I think that's why the Christmas of your dreams is so hard for you."

Her laughter faded, "I don't know…"

"With Jason," he said, "With staying away. Everyone else is giving you what you've always wanted, what you've always dreamed off and he's still standing on the sidelines not making a damn move."

The denial was on her lips but Elizabeth nodded her head sadly, "I just wish that Jason would realize that this is the one Christmas that I need him the most."

"Hey."

Elizabeth looked over from where she was stepping out of the elevator at the Harborview Towers and saw Jason Morgan approaching her, his leather jacket already on, his gloves halfway there. She was sure that even thought it was freezing out he probably had a tee shirt underneath all that.

"Hey," she smiled softly, "Where are you going?"

"To get you."

That surprised her. "Me?"

"Yeah," Jason sighed and looked away from her, towards the elevator that was now making its way back downstairs, "You left, not really in a hurry, but you looked anxious to get out of here and it was getting late and…I know you have a guard but I wasn't sure if…are you okay?"

"I'm not much on holidays," she shrugged, "I just needed to go someplace where I could get away from it. I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell Lily and Sonny that. They tried so hard to make this Christmas the best that I've ever had."

"Did it help?"

"Christmas?"

"Getting away," Jason said, "Wherever you went, did it help?"

She laughed softly, "No, he just made me talk it out."

"Eckert."

"Yeah, Sly," she said, "Thank you for what you're doing for him. I know you think that he doesn't deserve a second chance but…"

"It doesn't matter what I think," Jason said, "Sonny asked me to keep Eckert around and I'm doing it. If he helps you than I'm okay with that."

"He's not the only one that's able to help me, Jason," she said quietly.

Jason shoved his leather gloved covered hands in his pockets and looked at his motorcycle boots for a second before his blue eyes reached hers, "I know that you said you don't like holidays but…" he licked his lips, "I got you a something. If you'd rather I didn't…"

"You bought me a gift?" she asked, "For Christmas?"

"I shot your birthday to hell."

"No Jason," she said, "I did that."

Jason nodded; he didn't want to fight with her, not again. Not when over the past few weeks they'd managed to have civil, albeit chaperoned, conversations. He motioned with his body towards his penthouse.

"Do you want to…I mean…"

"Yeah," she said taking off her mittens, "Yeah sure and thank you."

"For what?" he asked opening the door and allowing her to enter first.

"For coming to look for me," she said as she stepped into his home, a home that was once theirs, "Even though I had a guard you still…thank you," she smiled softly.

"You're welcome," he said as he walked over to his coffee table, the same coffee table where she had done a little dance for him in the same jacket that he was now wearing. He picked up a silver package and handed it to her, "Um, Merry Christmas."

"Thank you, again," she smiled, "I didn't expect this. I don't have anything for you," she tucked a strand of hair behind her hear and nibbled on her bottom lip, "We've been so…I've been so…"

"Just open it," he said as he pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in the pockets of his jacket before tugging that off as well, "Sit, please."

"Okay," Elizabeth said looking back at the couch and then sitting on it, "Okay."

Jason watched her as she slowly started to unwrap the paper containing the present that he had bought her. He needed help from the salesperson at the shop. He wasn't sure what Elizabeth's size was but he knew her measurements, could describe them in vivid detail, and that helped the associate who brought him the gift he thought she would love. The other piece of his present took a side trip to New York, one that he was able to arrange around his business schedule. He deduced from her gasp that she loved it.

"Jason," she squealed as she stood up and quickly unbuttoned her pea coat, shrugging out of it and letting it fall to the floor, "I can't believe you."

He watched as she slid one arm into her new leather jacket and then the other, pulling it against her body and looking out it with a glow in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a very long time. She was practically beaming at him when their eyes met again.

"I love it."

"You enjoyed," he cleared his throat, "You enjoyed the bike when you finally got on it and I know that you'd like to ride it again so anytime that you might…just let me know."

"Can I steer?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Pretty please."

"We'll see."

"Alright!" she squealed as she ran towards him and threw he arms around him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jason winced and cringed slightly when he felt something digging into his shoulder and Elizabeth pulled back frowning, watching as he rubbed it and then looked down to see what could have caused the pain. It was then that she noticed the tiny pin that was attached to the lapel of her jacket.

It was an angel made out of rubies and gold.

"What?" she whispered as she ran her thumb over it.

"Angels watch over things," he said quietly, "And our child would've been born in July so I thought I could get you so that and when we ride, or wherever you go , she would watch over you."

"She?" Elizabeth whispered as she looked at him tearfully, "You've thought about our baby? You thought our baby would be a she?"

Jason nodded slowly, "I think that God would have given you a girl to spoil, to raise her properly, to spoil her and dress her up and curl her hair and…" he turned away as he felt the tears clogging his throat.

"You've think about this a lot," she whispered.

"All the time," he said quietly as he took a few steps from her, moving towards the pool table and his long window doors.

"What else did you think about?" she asked quietly as her eyes followed him.

"Her name," Jason said with a small laugh, "I don't…I normally don't think ahead or plan the future or revisit the past. That's not me."

"I know that's not you," Elizabeth said, "You can't dream, you can't really envision. I know that and I'm surprised that you…"

"How can I not?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, "How can I not picture you holding our child? How can I not see a little girl wrapped up all in pink, grabbing onto your finger as she squirmed, the way Adella use to do with me."

"What would her name have been?" Elizabeth whispered as she stepped towards him, "If we had a baby, if our baby would have been born almost seven months from now, what would you name her Jason?"

"Beth," he said as he watched her stop in front of him, "I think that your baby daughter should be named after you because of all that you have been through, because of all that you have survived. A lot of people haven't been able to handle less Elizabeth and you…you amaze me."

"I'm here for a reason," she whispered as she felt a tear slid down her face, "I'm in this very spot for a reason and I'm trying to find the reason that God took my child from me. Maybe you're right, maybe I'm not ready, maybe I need to experience more, live my life, before I settle down and get married and have children and do all those things that one day," she closed her eyes, "That one day I really want to do."

"And you will," he said as he reached out and wipe the dampness from her cheek with his thumb, "Because if anyone can do it Elizabeth, if anyone can run a business at seventeen and go to college and get her life back together and become one of the most well respected women in Port Charles it's you. I'm glad that I get to stand by and witness it."

"I don't want you to be just a witness," she whispered, "I want you, I need you, to be a part of it Jason." Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, "I can't lose you, not again, once was too much. I don't care if it's just as friends. We need each other right now. You have…"

"Yeah," Jason said leaning down and placing a kiss to her hair, "I know Elizabeth and I'm not going anywhere."

"I want to stay here tonight," she mumbled against his chest, "On the couch, in the spare room. I just…I want to spend the rest of this Christmas with you."

Jason pulled back and looked down at her, tucking another strand of brown hair behind her ear, "Then stay," he gave her a small smile, "Merry Christmas Elizabeth."

She laughed softly and buried her head back against his chest, "Merry Christmas Morgan."


	33. Chapter 33

Elizabeth looked over at Jason out of the corner of her eye. They were sitting on the plush red couch at General Hospital waiting to be called on by the doctor. Elizabeth had specifically made the appointment for a day when Lily wasn't working. She loved the woman that was now appointed her legal mother but this was something that she had to do on her own.

On her own with Jason.

He smiled at her and then went back to flipping through a stale dated issue of Parents magazine. His eyes were merely skimming the page, desperately trying to find something that would keep him distracted from the woman beside him, the woman that had invaded his mind, his body since the moment she walked into his life; the woman who he spent all of Christmas night simply staring at. Of course she didn't know that and Jason had no intention of sharing that with her. He just remembered waking up sometime in the middle of the night to find her curled up in his arms, the television screen a snowy vision and a VHS tape sticking out of the video cassette player. He had picked up the remote, pressed a button and the room plunged into darkness, leaving his bright blue eyes focused solely on her as she sighed and snuggled further into his side, sleeping peacefully for the next few hours before Lily had finally come to retrieve her.

He felt something stir inside of him that night, something other than his loins, and it scared the hell out of him. The more time he spent with her the more she seemed to become a part of him. He could not picture a day without her in it. He actually went to bed wondering whether or not he was going to see her the next day, hell sometimes he planned meetings around it. It humored Sonny and annoyed the hell out of the Eckert kid.

Sonny had to pull Jason aside a few times and ask him to ease up on Sly. Jason didn't know what it was about the kid that annoyed the hell out of him but he was always rubbing him the wrong way and Jason found numerous projects and tasks to keep him busy and working overtime. Sly just mumbled and did what he was told because he was trying to impress Sonny. Jason, on the other hand, was trying to fight down the emotion that he wasn't even aware that he had; jealousy.

He saw the times that she was with Sly. He didn't miss the look that passed between them; one of understanding and sympathy. Sly knew where she came from, he helped her survive the horrid ordeal that she went through while she was married to Luis Alcazar, he could sympathize with the loss of both of her parents, of her innocence and Jason stood on the sidelines wondering what the hell he could to make her feel better.

That was why he didn't question her when she showed up at his door this morning with breakfast in a brown bag from Kelly's. He invited her in and they talked for a bit, discussing things with her business and how the first few weeks of school was going. Somewhere between his promise of tutoring her with accounting, and her vow to give him a tour of the under construction warehouse, they started a game of pool, with Elizabeth breaking. After the first round she got the nerve to ask him to come to her check up appointment with her and Jason couldn't refuse. Here they were, Elizabeth's nervous foot tapping the floor beneath her, him stretching out and tossing the barely read magazine back on the table in front of him. She followed his movements and then her eyes shot to his. He smiled and he could feel the warmth fill his body when she returned it with one of her own. He reached out and took her small hand, squeezing it tightly.

"You'll be okay," he said with a slight nod of his head.

"I'm just" she laughed softly as she reached up with her free hand and tucked an errant curl behind her ear, "I've been to these things so many times in the last few years you think I'd get use to it by now."

"No, how can you Elizabeth?" he asked with a small smile as he shook his head, "I mean I don't think I'd ever be able to get use to someone, you know, prodding. Well, I mean by a doctor. Some people can prod, I don't mind that."

Elizabeth laughed, "You're trying to make me feel better."

"I'm not," he said, "I'm here because you asked me to be and because there's no place else I'd rather be."

"Does that include when we're in the examination room?" Elizabeth asked with raised eyebrows.

Jason shifted uncomfortable in his seat, "Yes."

She laughed as she reached over and playfully punched his chest, "I'll be okay in there. I have to be. I know at one time we were close but I really," she shook her head, "I'd like for you to sit in on the consultation with me. I mean, this affected both of us."

He cleared his throat, "This happened to you."

"This happened to us," she said firmly as she leaned towards him, "And I'm a little unsure as to why you don't consider our child yours as well as my own. Is it because you think there's a possibility that the child I lost wasn't yours Jason?"

"No, no, Elizabeth," he said as he sat up on the couch and leaned towards her, "I never thought that. I know that you and I, granted we didn't specifically say monogamous, I knew, I hope you did too that there was."

"I knew," she said quietly, "After being married for nearly a year to a husband that passed me and himself off, it was hard getting use to but I knew that we were only coming home to each other. I miss that."

"Elizabeth"

"I'm not going there," she said as she pulled her legs under her body and then tucked their joined hands in her lap, "I know that we can't go back there, not now, maybe not'" she shrugged, "I just mean that I missed someone being there for me, someone caring enough to greet me at the end of the day. You use to pick me up from work and when you couldn't dinner was home before I was. The late night games of pool, just listening to one another, falling asleep on the couch because we were too damn tired to make it to bed. It was nice to finally feel like I was a part of something, like I was wanted for something other than my body." She smiled as she felt her cheeks burn, "I know that it started out that way but"

"You are still a part of something," Jason said softly, "And you are still wanted."

Elizabeth could feel the heat from Jason's gaze and suddenly her palms began to sweat. She tried to pull away but he would have none of that and she could feel his eyes burning a hole into her. He said that he wanted to be noble and the way his eyes were firing up he was doing anything but that. She had fallen in love with Jason Morgan for many reasons, his morals being one of them and she was about to tell him to throw them out the damn window because she wanted him right here, right now but he blinked and the fire was gone. She watched him stand up and she turned, seeing a nurse's aid approaching them.

"Hi Miss Webber, the doctor is waiting in her office for you," she smiled.

Elizabeth turned towards Jason and no longer cared about her sweaty hands. She reached out for his and he took it, clasping it tightly. She then turned back towards the nurse and nodded, following her down the hallway with Jason Morgan in tow.

Jason looked up from the books he was working on when he heard laughter in the hallway. It was a soft feminine laughter that caused his heart to skip a beat. Elizabeth was here and he was hoping it was for an impromptu Accounting lesson.

Putting his pencil down Jason pushed himself away from his desk and made his way to the door. He then halted when he noticed Elizabeth disappearing into Sonny's office with Sly Eckert on her heels. The door was shut behind them.

He turned and sighed, running his fingers through his spiky hair before returning to his desk. He thought he had given Sly enough work to last him through the day but apparently he would have to tack on more. Eckert was spending way too much time with Elizabeth. Jason couldn't think of anything he hated more.

His personal opinion was that Elizabeth allowed the young man back into her life too quickly. He would have rather seen Eckert down on his knees begging and then thrown into the river but that wasn't his decision to make. Elizabeth still clung to Sly for some unknown reason and it irked the hell out of him. He wished her grip on him was that tight.

He knew he could never allow that and he fought the urge to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless nearly every waking hour. He tried to bury himself in his work but he somehow always found ways to be with her. He was always offering to help her with Accounting, a round of pool if her classes were too difficult and he was eating dinner with the Corinthos' at least four days a week. He was pushing himself to the breaking point where she was concerned and he didn't know how to end it.

Hell, he didn't want to.

Trying to push the laughter from his mind Jason settled back down in his desk chair only to be interrupted when his office door was shut and there before him stood his best friend's wife, hands on her hips and a determined look on her face.

"You're husband's office is that way," he motioned with his pencil.

"Surprisingly, after quite a few years of marriage, I'm aware of where my husband's office is," she smiled as she brushed off the chair in front of his desk and then sat down, "I'm not here to see Sonny. I'm here to see you."

"Lily, I'm really busy…"

"You're always busy, Jason," Lily frowned. "I've tried to talk to you after dinner, I've tried to talk to you when you drop Elizabeth off after a ride, I've tried to talk to you on the phone and nothing seems to work. I don't understand why you seem to be avoiding me. Have I done something to offend you? I thought we were good enough friends that you could come to me and tell me what I…"

"It's not that." he said as he slammed the pencil down on his desk.

"That what is it?" she asked slamming one heel against the cement flooring.

There was, aside from the laughing woman down the hall, no one else who was able to see him as clearly as Lily Corinthos. She had the motherly instinct that picked up on the things you were trying to hide the most. It was an annoying habit that brought him through the most difficult times of his life.

He was afraid that if he spent too much time with the woman sitting across from him she would start chipping away at the façade that he had strategically placed. He knew that she would figure out that things weren't really okay, that he had this ache inside of him that didn't seem to want to go away.

Watching her brown eyes soften, he knew they were headed down that path.

"Lily, please," he said standing up.

"You know that anything you say to me stays between you and me," Lily said as she leaned forward, "You know that I would never share anything with Elizabeth or Sonny or anyone else unless you asked me to do so Jason."

"I really can't talk right now," Jason said as he moved around to the front of his desk, "If these files aren't done Sonny will have my head and I…"

"You let me handle the don," Lily said as she stood up in front of him, "And you tell me the reason you are acting like an ass to me. I swear Jason the last time we had a decent conversation was the night that…"

She gasped and Jason closed his eyes. She had finally found what she had been looking for and like a pit bull Lily wasn't one to let go unless she made sure everything was normal again. Jason Morgan was never normal but he wasn't sure how to get back to the place he used to be before a bullet with his name on it killed Elizabeth's child.

"Does Elizabeth know about this?"

"About what?" Jason asked, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"About this guilt, this pain that you are carrying inside of you," Lily said, "I bet not. I bet the two of you are walking around with your heads up in the clouds; her pretending that school and business is helping and you burying yourself in those damn coffee beans. Jason this isn't something that you can just sweep under the rug, losing a child is…"

"I didn't lose a child," Jason snapped, "Elizabeth lost a child. I was just a witness."

Lily took a step back and looked at him startled, "Jason, it was your baby. You and Elizabeth created that baby."

"No," Jason said, "I slammed her up against a door and took her in anger and afterwards I walked out, leaving her curled up in a ball on the floor. The only thing I did was release some swimmers. Elizabeth cared enough to walk away, she cared enough to take care of herself and nurture herself and she cared enough to throw her body in front of a bullet that was mine. Elizabeth lost a child, I killed her baby."

Lily pressed her fingers against her temple, "Jason, no. No. Luis Alcazar pulled the trigger on that gun which killed your baby. Elizabeth has got to know that you…"

"She knows how I feel," Jason said quietly, "She knows how I've envisioned her daughter in her arms."

"It's not all about her Jason. This is about you too, why aren't you seeing that?"

"Because I can't see things clearly, Lily," Jason said. "I don't get why you and Elizabeth and everyone else want to label me a father to a child I didn't care about. A child I might have never known about because I couldn't get Elizabeth Webber out of this city fast enough." He laughed and looked away from her as he felt the tears cloud his eyes, "Do you know that if everything had gone as planned Sly Eckert would be watching Elizabeth's stomach round out, he would be picking out the baby clothes and helping put the room together. Eckert would eventually be raising my child because I was too stubborn to see that this girl, this woman, actually gave a damn about me."

"You didn't aim the gun, Jason," Lily whispered, "You can't blame yourself for something that someone else did. No one, not even Elizabeth, knew that she was carrying a child."

"And what if she did?" he asked quietly, "Would she have stayed and fought so hard or would she had gone off and made a better life for herself and her baby? I probably would have never laid eyes on my son or daughter so I'm not going to even pretend that I was a father. It's no one's fault but my own, Lily. You and I both know that. Elizabeth told me how she felt about me the day that you were ambushed in your home and you know what I did? I let her walk away."

He felt his hand tighten into a fist, "Biggest mistake of my life."

"Jason," Lily whispered as she approached him.

"Don't," he said holding his hands up, "Just don't."

He pushed himself away from the desk and made a quick stride to the door, pulling it open and letting it slam back against the wall, causing it to rattle on its hinges. Lily hurried after him calling his name and soon more heads poked out of their work stations, Sonny's being one of them.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked as she elbowed her way past Sly and Sonny.

"I guess…" Lily looked at Elizabeth sadly, "I really don't know, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth looked back at Sly and Sonny before she turned down the hall and started to run, wanting to catch up with Jason before he was gone. He was climbing on his motorcycle when she finally had him in her view and she shouted out his name before the roar of the engine would drown her out.

"Jason, please, wait," Elizabeth panted as she nearly skidded to a halt in her boots, "Do you know how hard it is to run in heels?"

Jason looked up at her, his blue eyes blazing as his hand held the small motorcycle helmet which she wore whenever she went on a ride with him. He was angry and he didn't look like he was willing to talk about it.

"Cliff roads?" she asked quietly as she took the helmet from him.

He nodded as he turned his stormy eyes from her, "With all the sharp corners."

"You're on," Elizabeth smiled as she climbed onto the back of his bike and wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to him tightly as they sped off into the night.

She was unaware that Jason was clinging to her as well.


	34. Chapter 34

Elizabeth smiled as Lily closed the front door to the penthouse and walked in with another bouquet of flowers. For the past six hours, on the hour, she had been receiving twelve red long stem roses. It was Sonny's way of saying Happy Valentine's Day to the woman he loved. Lily was playfully cursing at him in Spanish, telling him the suite now looked like a solarium but Elizabeth knew that the woman was touched by the romantic gesture.

Elizabeth was surprised when she woke up that morning and found a lone pink rose outside of her bedroom door with a note from Sonny wishing her a Happy Valentine's Day. When she came downstairs to thank him she also found that Adella and Morgan each received their own gifts, small boxes of chocolates and Morgan had given his mother a card that he had made for her.

It was something Elizabeth would have to get used to. Her father and mother used to celebrate Valentine's Day together but that was until they moved to California and Luis Alcazar stepped into their lives. Elizabeth never got a chance to experience a Valentine's Day. Her father only presented her mother with gifts and by the time Elizabeth was old enough to enjoy Cupid's Day she was working in a strip club, wearing a heart shaped bikini for ogling men.

She fully expected, after being gifted the pink rose, that Sonny was going to ask her to baby-sit the children so he could take his wife out for a romantic dinner the upcoming evening. She was sure that Lily would be treated to a wonderful evening at the newly opened Metro Court owned by Jasper Jacks or the infamous No Name, the restaurant that resembled Maoni's back in Chicago. She was stunned to learn that like every other Wednesday night, Sonny and Lily had only one plan in mind; playing Monopoly with their children.

"I think there's room in the kitchen for this. Hopefully it is the last batch," Lily said with raised eyebrows as she watched her husband fix himself a drink at his wet bar, "I'm sure the delivery man no longer needs directions to our house."

"I just wanted to make sure that you felt appreciated today," Sonny grinned.

"Oh I do," Lily smiled, "But just because you bought me six dozen roses means that you're covered for the next six days." She looked at her children, "Come on Adella, Morgan, we'll get some milk and cookies before we get ready to play our game."

"Chocolate Chip!" Adella cried.

"Nah, we had that last week," Morgan yelled as he raced after his sister," I want Oreo's."

Sonny watched his family disappear into the kitchen with a smile on his face before he turned back towards Elizabeth, raising a glass to her. "Can I offer you something?"

Elizabeth shook her head and pulled herself up from the couch, making her way across the room to where her school bag lay by the door, along with a pair of lace up boots that Sonny seemingly always tripped over.

"I'd rather wait until I'm legal now," she said as she reached for her bag and pulled it open, "Or have the occasional beer when I'm whipping Morgan's butt in pool," she grinned as she poked her head up at him, "I hate the fact that I can say I have consumed more liquor at my age than most twenty one year olds have."

Sonny shrugged, "You're not an alcoholic and you know you're limit."

"And you are one of the reasons that I'm not," she said as she stood up and held a tissue wrapped package to her chest, "I don't know what I would have done without you and Lily these past couple of months. You've given me a home, you've given me freedom, you allowed me to go to Chicago and yet you've also set limits, boundaries. You allow me to be an adult but my curfew reminds me that I'm still a teenager. You took my GED and you hung it up Sonny, in your living room, and you tell people how proud you are of me."

"I am, Elizabeth."

"But my own father," she whispered as she stepped towards him, "He got rid of me and all for dollar bills, money that he drank and gambled away within a year of selling me to Luis Alcazar. You, Sonny, are what it means to be a father. I see you with Adella and Morgan and I am so jealous," she laughed as she reached up and wiped at a tear that threatened to escape her eye.

"You know what you are to us, to Lily and me," Sonny said quietly, "You know that you are a part of mi familia. You are now a Corinthos', Elizabeth. Nothing and no one will ever change that."

"Yeah well," she sniffled slightly as she held the package out to him, "I had this taken care of just to make sure of it. I was waiting for the right time to give it to you and after seeing that rose on the floor today in front of my room…" she smiled, "I'm sorry I didn't wrap it better."

"I didn't expect anything from you," Sonny said with a small grin, "But I like gifts."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she watched him un-wrap the package. He placed the tissue paper on his wet bar and turned the eight by ten frame over in his hands so he could read the words on the letter. It was a proclamation by the judge declaring that Elizabeth Imogene Webber was now Elizabeth Imogene Corinthos.

"I tried to get them to drop my middle name but they insisted it be in there legally."

"You…you um…" Sonny cleared his throat as he felt tears start to clog it, "You didn't have to do this, Elizabeth. I wasn't trying to…I mean we weren't…"

"In case I haven't mentioned it," Elizabeth said, "I love you. You and Lily have given me something that I haven't received in a very long time. You've given me a home. I feel safe to wake up in the morning. I feel like I can finally breathe again. Sonny, there is no way I will ever be able to repay you for this but I was hoping that this might be a good start."

Sonny pulled Elizabeth into his arms and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair so he could hide the tears that he knew were sliding down his face. He never would have imagined the tiny little spit fire that had somehow found her way into Jason Morgan's heart would also find a permanent place in his home. He and Lily often talked about having more children and he felt like Elizabeth had helped fill that void.

"Mi hija," he whispered pulling back and smiling.

"Um…" Elizabeth bit her lip and rolled her eyes heavenward trying to think, "Mi padre."

"We'll work on the accent," Sonny grinned.

Elizabeth laughed and playfully hit him as Lily came out of the kitchen with a pitcher full of milk in her hand and her two tiny children in tow. Morgan and Adella climbed up on the chairs and started to pick through the silver playing pieces, trying to figure out which ones they wanted to be.

"Is everything okay?" Lily asked as she placed the cookies and milk on the table.

"Everything couldn't be more wonderful," Sonny said as he walked towards his wife.

"Elizabeth, are you sure there isn't anything better that you wanted to do tonight?" Lily asked, "I'm sure that Sly has offered to take you out."

"Sly isn't in town," Elizabeth said heading towards the table, "He said late yesterday he was told he had to go to New York for business although he wouldn't elaborate." She winked at Sonny, "And besides I can't think of a better way to spend the evening than with these two beautiful children." She smiled as she placed a kiss on Morgan and Adella's heads.

Adella kissed her back and Morgan groaned. Elizabeth laughed as she pulled her chair out and watched Sonny and Lily settled down across from her when there was a knock on the penthouse door. There was no forthcoming word from the bodyguard outside.

"I'll get it," Elizabeth said as she hurried over to the door, sliding in her socks, "Jason, hi."

"Hey," Jason said stepping into the penthouse "Is this a bad time?"

"Nope," Elizabeth smiled, "We were just about to sit down to another game of Monopoly. Would you like to join us?"

"Actually," Jason said clearing his throat, "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a ride, maybe get something to eat afterwards."

"Oh," Elizabeth said as she looked back at the table. For some odd reason Lily and Sonny were both trying to hide grins, "I'm not sure. We made plans to…"

"No, nonsense," Lily said jumping up from her chair and nearly knocking it over, "You go out Elizabeth. We can postpone the game until tomorrow. Is what you're wearing okay? Maybe you should change."

"No," Jason said as he eyed Elizabeth's jeans and red sweater, "No, she looks perfect the way she is."

Elizabeth felt herself blush as she moved around Jason and grabbed her boots from where they lay beside her bag. She situated herself at Sonny's desk chair and sat down; tugging them on while she tied up the laces and Lily peppered Jason with questions.

"We won't be late," Elizabeth said sliding on her leather jacket, "Jason knows that I have a curfew and we're just going to grab a bite to eat. I'm sure he's not taking me to any of those places where the violinist is going to try and serenade me."

Jason's face scrunched up, "No."

Elizabeth laughed and gave Lily a hug, "Thank you. If I don't see you guys when I get home I'll see you in the morning."

"Have fun, honey," Lily smiled as she watched Jason lead the way out of the penthouse door. She turned around and saw her husband sitting at the table shaking his head and laughing. "What is so funny?"

"I think she is going to kill you tomorrow."

Lily laughed too, "I don't think she'll kill me. In fact, I may get mother of the year award."

She grinned as she made her way back to her husband and children and they resumed their attempt at playing Monopoly with children under the age of six.

Elizabeth laughed as Jason held her hands tightly and led her towards the front door of Kelly's diner. Snow had begun to fall shortly after they left the penthouse so their motorcycle ride was cut short. Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised to find that they were actually going to be eating in at Kelly's instead of taking out. She was also curious when Jason climbed off of the bike and held out a folded up bandana, asking if she would mind being blindfolded.

She was never too fond of the dark, especially with the roller coaster ride that had been the last few years of her life, but Jason had this twinkle in his eyes, one she hadn't seen in a very long time and she couldn't say no. Especially when he wrapped it loosely around her head told her to trust him. She had melted on the spot.

He was fiddling with the door, that much she could hear, and then he was leading her inside, into the warmth of the homey diner, that was filled with an aroma that smelled enticingly familiar and a soft ballad on the juke box. It sounded like Dean Martin's _On An Evening In Roma_.

All thoughts of what could be going on flew right out of her head when she felt Jason behind her, his fingers brushing through her hair as he untied the bandana but kept it held over her eyes. He leaned in closer to her and she could feel his breath against her cheek. She wanted to melt again.

"You smell like snow," he whispered.

She turned her head slightly, her soft cheek brushing against his stubble, "Snow doesn't smell."

"Mmm, yes it does."

He released the shield from her eyes and Elizabeth found it hard pulling her gaze away from him but when she did was she stunned speechless. Kelly's diner was empty. There were heart shape streamers hung across the counter and doorways, paper cupids were strewn about the walls and there were pink lights strung up around the entire room.

Elizabeth turned in a full circle, taking in every decoration, before she smiled up at Jason, trying desperately to hang on to the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, "This is…"

She was unsuccessful as a lone one slipped from her cheek but he caught it with the pad of his thumb.

"You told me that you never celebrated a Valentine's Day before," he said quietly, "I wanted to make sure that your fist once was unique."

"Oh you did that," she laughed softly, "I can't believe you did all of this."

"Lily helped," Jason said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He had to find something to do with them. The way she was looking at him made him want to do nothing more than make love to her on one of these tables he scrubbed clean earlier that day.

"And you cooked?" she asked.

"No," he laughed softly, "I set everything up with Bobbie."

"Do that more often."

"What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Close down a restaurant for you?"

"Laugh," she whispered.

Jason stood there, gazing at her, and Elizabeth felt it again, the warmth that filled her belly and spread through her veins. She wanted him, after all this time of trying to be just friends, of keeping things platonic, of knowing that Jason was simply too old for her. She still felt it and she would give anything to keep this feeling.

"I'm going to check on the food," he said quietly as moved around her and pulled out a chair, "Bobbie said that she would leave it warming in the oven for us. She also said that the only person renting right now is Eckert so no one will be traipsing in and out of the diner."

Elizabeth felt that heated gaze again before Jason somehow managed to head off into the kitchen, in search of their food. Sly was in New York and there were currently no other boarders. No one would be disturbing them tonight and that thought made her tingle. Tonight was going to be tempting, too tempting in fact.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth peeled off her leather jacket, dusting off the snow and laying it on the back of the chair that Jason had pulled out for her. After clearing her curls of the white flakes as well she made her way behind the counter and poked her head in the little window that lead into the kitchen.

"I'll get the drinks," she smiled, "What would you like?"

Jason saw the beautiful smile on her face and wanted to say a tall glass of her. He swallowed that comment and told her whatever she was having but then changed his mind when he realized that the only soda she drank was the diet stuff.

"Diet soda wouldn't hurt you," Elizabeth laughed as she watched him walk out of the kitchen with plates heaping with food, "Especially when you're eating that disgusting sandwich."

"Leave my Reuben alone," Jason scowled as he swung one leg across the chair and settled himself at the table. He placed both plates down and then removed his coat. Reaching back he laid it across one of the bar stools before turning back around and thanking her when a soda was placed in front of him.

"Thank you," she smiled at him as she laid her napkin across her lap, "I really appreciate you doing this for me. I mean I know this isn't…" she cleared her throat, "You just listened to what I said to you and you took it and you did all this."

Jason shrugged, "I know that holidays like this are important to women. This…Robin, I told you about her." He picked up his fork and toyed around with the sauerkraut on his sandwich, "She liked to celebrate holidays like this. She said it was tradition and I didn't understand it but I did it because it made her happy."

"You're wonderful like that," Elizabeth said as she took a bite of her sandwich, "You do things to make other people smile," she rolled her eyes playfully as she swallowed her food, "I just wish there was something that I could do to make you smile."

"You make me smile, Elizabeth," he said quietly as he took a big bite of his Rueben sandwich and let the silence fall between them. He found the small grease droppings from his meal very interesting when he felt her blue eyes boring into his head. He wanted to look at her, he wanted to reiterate all those feelings that he knew would be revealed in those beautiful blue eyes but he knew that if he looked up at her there would be nothing stopping him from reaching across the table and taking her in his arms.

And that could not happen, not for another nine months anyway.

"I remember when I was in high school," she said before she took a sip of her soda, "I remember around the time that I was dating Sly, right before Luis made me…" she cleared her throat again and took another bite of her sandwich, "I remember all these girls gushing about what their boyfriends did for them for Valentine's Day. Some seniors had flowers delivered; others had balloons at their lockers or were given candies in class. They talked about the dinners that night or the romantic dates, the serenades, the music, candles, the first time." She laughed softly. "I remember being so jealous of them. I remember wanting that so bad I could taste it."

She shrugged as she popped a fry into her mouth, "Sly was pulling away from me and Luis was starting to charm me into doing more things than waitressing at the club. I didn't get anything for that Valentine's Day and the next two were shared with a bunch of strangers. I never thought I'd be able to live out my dream Valentine's Day but you did it for me Jason. You gave me something that would make those girls in high school want to be me," she laughed again as she felt tears water her eyes, "At least for tonight anyway."

Jason shook his head as he placed his sandwich back down on his plate, "I don't think they'd want to be you just for tonight. I think that a lot of people would want your life."

"Yeah," she said laughing, "For the sake of the gorgeous men in my life."

"No," Jason said shaking his head again, "No Elizabeth because you came out on top. You were at rock bottom and you fought your way back up. You are a survivor. You are making something of yourself and that's something that you should be proud of." He took a long sip of his soda, "People should be jealous of you because of who you are today not who you know. You are going to be the one who is CEO of her own company not selling cosmetics down at Wyndham's. You had a large organization thrown in your lap and instead of running scared you faced it head on and demanded to take control yourself. It took some wearing down on Sonny's part to finally let us help but you wanted to do it all on your own Elizabeth. You went to Chicago, you faced those men down, you faced me down, that…that's reason enough for those girls to want to be like you, to want to be strong and courageous and…"

"Stop," Elizabeth whispered as she wiped at the tears running down her face, "Please, Jason. You make me sound like I'm the most wonderful woman in the world."

"You are," he said quietly, "In my world at least. I…I wanted you to know that."

"You showed me tonight," she whispered as she reached for his hand across the table, "But there's one other thing that I have to ask of you."

Jason blinked and realized that this woman had no idea he could give her the world, "What else do you need, Elizabeth?"

She stood up, still holding onto his hand tightly, "Dance with me."

Jason rarely danced. He did it by force and that was once a year when he attended the Nurse's ball and Lily would drag him up to the floor. He hated it but he suffered through it. Now, standing up in front of Elizabeth, he didn't feel like dancing would be torture anymore. There was more Dean Martin playing on the juke box and her arms slipped around his waist, her head came to rest against his chest and her body started to sway to the music. It was only natural that he swayed as well.

Elizabeth felt that after all this time she had finally come home. It was the feeling she had the morning after Christmas when she had woken up in Jason's penthouse and realized where she was. She felt something that she couldn't describe but it hadn't been recaptured until this very moment, until she was wrapped up in the man that made her knees weak and her heart beat a little bit faster. She hated and loved the fact that she was still very much in love with Jason Morgan, the man she couldn't have.

He tried to resist reaching up and twisting his fingers in her curly hair but it was useless and soon he found his nose buried in it, inhaling the scent of her peach shampoo and vanilla smell that always seemed to be Elizabeth. There was also that hint of snow. He found his lips brushing against her earlobe, found his breath fanning across her neck, found his hands sliding down her back as he pressed her closer to him. God he wanted her, he wanted her like he did his next breath, laws be damned.

"Jason," she whispered against his black shirt as her hand found its way over his rapidly beating heart, "Jason, I wish there was some way to thank you for tonight, for the dinner, for this. I wish that there was some way I could repay you."

There was and he was going to tell her, to beg her to release him from this hellish prison that he had been existing in since he saw the documents that proclaimed she was nothing more than a child in the eyes of the law. He wanted to tell her that she could thank him by allowing her to make love to him on this very floor, right now, as the snow came down in big white flurries outside the doors. He blinked when he realized just how big those flurries were.

"Elizabeth…"

She looked up at him curiously and watched him pull away, hurrying towards the door of the diner as he pushed it open, this time with a struggle, allowing some of the white snow to come into through the door, along with a blast of cold air.

He let it close with a bang from the wind and then he locked it before turning back to her with a small smile on his face, a smile that didn't look too happy. Sighing he walked towards her, running his fingers through his hair.

"We're not going anywhere tonight. The bike won't be able to make it through on the roads. There are a few inches out there now."

Elizabeth worried her bottom lip as she crossed her arms across her chest, "So we're…"

Jason nodded, "Snowed in."

Jason stared frustrated out the bedroom window from the bed he was reclining in. He and Elizabeth had departed ways a few hours ago to get some sleep before they started out in the morning for the penthouse. Elizabeth had called Sonny and Lily to explain the situation; they finished dinner, shared some brownies and decided to take advantage of the many rooms that were available to them.

He hated it but Elizabeth was able to get her beauty rest.

The first hour he tried to sleep, the second hour he paced and the third hour is when he finally decided to go downstairs and grab a beer and another brownie. Now, well past midnight and into the fourth hour his naked back was resting against the headboard, his jeans haphazardly thrown on as he watched the snow continue to fall outside. He was miserable. He had tried to push aside his dark mood for the evening but once out of the presence of the bubbly woman he was head over heels in love with he felt that black cloud begin to hover again. He was not a man that wanted much in life and the one thing that he felt he needed the most was out of his reach. God was finally getting revenge for all the horrible things that he had done.

But Elizabeth was happy and he'd take this shitty mood for the rest of his life if he could just keep that beautiful smile on her face. She lit up when she saw the room tonight and before they retired for the evening she managed to pluck a heart from one of the streamers and tucked it neatly in her jeans pocket. She said that she wanted to keep it as a remembrance of the evening. Jason knew that he would never forget this night; this was one of the many nights that he found himself falling in love with Elizabeth Webber all over again.

Sighing as he took another sip from the long neck bottle, he turned his head towards the door and wondered what would happen if he got up and opened it, if he made his way down the hall towards her room, if he slid into bed with her, took her in his arms and made love to her until he was no longer physically capable of doing so.

Surely he would rot in hell for that and Sonny might even have a hand in that matter.

Groaning Jason downed the rest of his beer and slammed the bottle on the table. He got up and made his way towards the door, intent on bringing the reaming six pack up as well as the left over brownies. He couldn't think of a better way to kill the evening. Well he could, he just couldn't do _that_.

Pulling his door open he was surprised to see Elizabeth on the other side, tiny fist poised ready to knock. She was worrying that bottom lip again as she stood there in her pretty red sweater and jeans, barefoot, and a few of those tiny pearl buttons undone on that cardigan.

He rolled his eyes heavenward; the lord was testing him tonight.

"I couldn't sleep," she whispered, "And I was wondering if maybe I could stay here with you?"

He should have told her no. He should have said that he'd walk her back down to her room and stand watch by her beside until she fell asleep but some perverse demon inside of him made him open up his door and allow her in. He kept his back to her as he shut it, his hand gripping the lock while his head told him that nothing could happen, that this was Elizabeth and the law said touching her would mean ten to twenty.

No one told her that.

When he turned towards her, to escort her to his bed, her fingers were toying with one of those pearl buttons, her teeth were still worrying her lip and her eyes had darkened a little. They resembled that look she had that night in the club when she offered him a private show.

That should have been a warning.

Jason found his back against the door as Elizabeth peppered kisses over his naked chest and shoulders. She then started to move upward along his neck, her tongue sliding along his jaw before she stood up on her toes and planted a firm, wet kiss on his lips causing him to moan.

"Elizabeth, God," he groaned as he planted his hands on her shoulders, intent to push her away.

"Please, let me thank you, please," she whispered as she slid her nails into his hair, scraping his scalp gently.

His brain was screaming yes, his other head was yelling something else and somewhere in the middle his gut was telling him that he would get shot for this and he wasn't sure if the bullet would come from Eckert or Sonny. Soon all thoughts fled when those gorgeous little fingers found the buttons on his jeans.

"I just want to…" she gasped as she pulled back from kissing him, "Love you."

Then she dove in again, her tongue clashing with his as she pulled him closer, as her body pressed against his own and Jason was lost, all rationale thrown out the window and into the snow. His palms cupped her backside, bringing her flush against him, his hard erection straining against his jeans and nestling between her thighs.

They were stumbling towards the bed, legs tangling up in one another as Jason's hands worked on those buttons on her cardigan. He managed to get them all undone and her sweater was being pushed down her arms as she moved her way across his chest again, her teeth finding his hard nipples and nipping at them in a way that made him growl. He fished his fingers in her hair, keeping her pressed against him as his free hand worked the clasp on her bra.

She was decked out in red, just for him, just for Valentine's Day and he could only hope that she had on a matching thong.

Elizabeth pulled away to climb onto the bed and she discarded her bra, tossing it to the floor and beckoning him with one finger. Jason eagerly complied and joined her, his hands reaching out to caresses her breasts, the delicious, creamy mounds that fit perfectly in the palm of his hands. Her head fell back and her curls danced along her spine as she arched into his touch, burning for more, aching for him like she had no other man. He was the one that completed her.

When his lips moved in to feast upon her breasts Elizabeth fumbled with his jeans again, tugging down the zipper over his rock hard manhood, trembling when he moaned against her, biting down so hard that it was sure to cause a bruise in the morning. She slipped her hand through the flap of his jeans to his boxers and caressed him, running up and down his length, the cotton adding that extra fiction that caused him to groan.

She gasped when she was pushed back onto the bed, her body bouncing off of it slightly and Jason started to kiss his way down her body, his tongue living a damp path as it slid over her belly button. His fingers had her button undone with a flick, his teeth worked on her zipper and his hands tugged on the denim material. He pulled them off with one hard tug and he stared down at her, licking his lips as he took in the view of a nearly naked Elizabeth, on his bed for the evening, in a red thong. God did love him.

He went back into her arms and she pulled him close as their tongues dueled again. She was arching her body against his, loving the feel of his naked skin pressed against her own. He soon had her squirming beneath him as his fingers found their way between her thighs and were rubbing the material against the tiny nub that drove her wild.

She started to claw at his back, buck against him and suddenly Jason could take no more. He quickly slid off of the bed and divested of his jeans and boxers. He reached for her lovely thong but Elizabeth was too quick for him, tugging on the flimsy material and ripping it off of her body, throwing it over her head and not caring that it landed on a lamp shade. She wanted him back in her arms, she wanted him inside of her, she wanted this ache to be filled after four long months.

Jason was glad to oblige. He wrapped one silky leg around his own and thrust deeply inside of her, their moans mixing as their bodies moved together. Soon her legs were wrapped around his waist, the bed was squeaking in protest beneath them and Jason was pounding inside of her like the world was going to end tomorrow. It had been too damn long since he had loved Elizabeth, too damn long since he felt her squirming beneath him, too damn long since she slid her hands down and squeezed his naked backside like she were doing right now.

Elizabeth felt her head flailing about from side to side as she squeezed her muscles around Jason. He was panting, sweating dripping off of his body and onto hers; mingling together as their bodies united and strived for that perfect elation they found only each other's arms. She felt it start, the small burst of pleasure built until it consumed her, erupted inside of her body, causing her to cry out his name and grip the sheets with her tiny fists. She was panting, gasping for breath as he continued to thrust inside of her until the wave crashed upon him and he exploded, spilling his seed inside of her and moaning out her name.

"Elizabeth…"

"Jason?"

Jason blinked his eyes as he stared at the open door in front of him. Elizabeth had poked her head in and now she was coming in further, dressed in a pair of jeans, a red cardigan sweater with tiny pearl buttons and her bare feet. He groaned and let his head drop back against the headboard.

"I couldn't sleep and I was wondering if I could stay with you," she said quietly as she gnawed on her bottom lip, "But if you're not feeling well than I…you seemed kind of spaced out there."

"No, no," Jason said patting the bed beside him, "Brownies don't mix with sauerkraut I guess." He threw her a half grin and hoped that she would fall asleep quickly and ignore the raging erection he was trying to hide with his hands folded on his lap.

Elizabeth gave him a small smile and walked to the other side of the bed, sliding under the covers and resting her head against the pillow, a soft sigh escaping her lips before she closed her eyes. She then blinked them open again and looked up at him.

"You sure you don't want to maybe try and fall asleep?"

Jason pulled the covers away from his body and slid back down in bed next to her and she cuddled up against him, slinging one arm around his waist and one cheek against his chest, using him now as a pillow.

"Thank you again for tonight," she murmured with a yawn as her eyes fluttered downward, "You're the best friend a girl could ever have, Jason."

Best friend? He was more like the wolf in sheep's clothing. Still when Jason looped his arm around her waist and she buried further into his side he found his eyes drifting close and his breathing starting to even. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing and she was an angel in disguise.


	35. Chapter 35

Elizabeth stepped off the elevator at Harborview Towers and looked towards her left. Jason's penthouse door was closed. She had been trying to reach him all morning and well into the afternoon to let him know that she had passed her Accounting quiz with a 'B'. Her professor even congratulated her and Elizabeth was well aware that if Jason hadn't sat down and helped her with her homework she wouldn't have passed let alone with an above average grade.

She adjusted her messenger bag on her shoulder and made a right, heading towards her home. She would just have to catch up with her friend later. He was probably busy with an assignment from Sonny. She knew that's why she hadn't seen a whole lot of Sly lately. She smiled as she pushed open the door and stepped into the penthouse.

"Hey, I'm…"

Elizabeth stopped abruptly when she noticed that Lily was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands and Sonny was kneeling down in front of her, massaging her arms. Both of them looked up surprised when they heard the door open. When the recognition that it was her coming home from school Lily looked like she paled.

"Is everything okay?" Elizabeth asked pulling her bag off and dropping it by the door, "Nothing has happened to the children has it? Jason? Sly?"

"Everyone is fine," Sonny said quietly as he stood up, "Lily and I just lost track of time. I guess we didn't realize how late it was."

The strong man that she had grown to love as a father now stood before her shaken. It seemed as if he wanted to say something to her but he couldn't form the words. He took her hands and pulled her towards the plush chair in the living room, sitting her down and making himself as comfortable as he could on the coffee table across from her.

"School going okay?" Sonny asked, "You doing fine in your classes? I know you were struggling with Accounting."

"It's good. I got a 'B'," Elizabeth said with a forced smile, "But I get the feeling that we shouldn't be talking about school right now."

"That's not true," Lily said softly from the couch, "We're always interested in how your doing."

"I know that," Elizabeth said looking between the two of them, "But I also know that something is going on right now and the two of you are scaring the hell out of me so could you just please tell me so I can decide whether or not I need to scream or cry or hug someone."

Elizabeth watched as Sonny and Lily shared another silent look between them as if trying to decide what her reaction would be to whatever news they were planning on telling her. She was about to go with screaming when Sonny licked his lips and finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Lily and I, we found out some news today, and we were trying to find a good time to share it with you," he gave her a small smile, "Until you walked in on us."

"This news doesn't sound so good," Elizabeth said as her eyes flickered between them.

"Well," Lily laughed softly and Elizabeth thought she saw tears in the woman's eyes, "I guess that really depends on you."

"I'm not sure what that…"

"I'm pregnant," Lily whispered, "Sonny and I are having a baby."

"You're…" Elizabeth cleared her throat as she felt tears hit her eyes. She tried to blink them away but she suddenly found that she was having a hard time seeing, "You're having a baby. That's wonderful. That's fantastic news. Have you told the children yet?"

Sonny watched as Elizabeth stood up from the chair she was sitting in and walked away from them, wiping furiously at her face. He turned towards his wife when he felt her hand on his arm and he reached out and grasped it tightly.

"We're waiting with the children," Lily said, "Adella is still so young."

"Of course," Elizabeth said as she tucked some hair behind her ear and crossed her arms across her chest, "When is the baby due?"

Lily's eyes fluttered downward and Elizabeth noticed that Sonny was clearing his throat, as if he was struggling with the words that were coming. She hated that they couldn't enjoy this moment in their family because they were worried about how she would deal with the news.

"Early July," Sonny said quietly as his sympathetic brown eyes met hers.

Elizabeth felt as if she had been shot again, as if the bullet was now ripping through her heart instead of her gut. She gripped onto the chair that was in front of her and tried her best to plaster a smile on her face.

"I see," she whispered as the tears slipped down her face, "You're having my baby."

Sonny wished that he could deny it. He wished that he could tell her that the doctor was mistaken and there was no way he could pinpoint the time of conception that perfectly. But it could be true because both he and his wife knew that the moment Elizabeth was taken down by a bullet they were on his island in each other's arms comforting one another.

Sonny and Lily were indeed having the baby that Jason and Elizabeth had lost.

"Elizabeth, we're really…"

Elizabeth laughed as she watched Lily stand up from the couch. She wiped the remainder of her tears from her face and shook her head, "Do not be sorry that you are having a baby. I don't want this family to be anything but happy over this news. You are bringing a life into this world and you two are so much in love. Please, don't be sad because of me."

"But we love you," Sonny said firmly, "And we don't want to do anything that causes you any pain."

"You didn't do this, God did this," Elizabeth said, "And He did it for a reason and right now I'm still struggling to find out what that reasoning was." She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair and suddenly a thought occurred to her, "Jason…"

"Sonny told him earlier today," Lily said.

Elizabeth knew now why she hadn't been able to get a hold of the enforcer. He wasn't out working; he had barricaded himself into his penthouse and shut himself off from the rest of the world. She turned around and ran towards the door before turning back.

"He needs me. I…"

Sonny nodded as he watched the young woman disappear through the door, slamming it shut behind her. He felt his wife slip her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed against his back as she leaned into him.

"Would it be a problem for you to take the rest of the day off so you can just stay here and hold me?"

He turned around and pulled his wife tight against him, kissing her hair. "No problem at all."

Jason's eyes swept across his penthouse suite, taking in every detail as he took another long sip from his beer, Lily would be proud. No damage had been done, the furniture was left unscathed, nothing had been thrown across the room and the only remnants that dare reveal the mood he was in were the beer bottles left strewn about in his wake.

He had tried to unleash the fury inside of him. The minute the door was closed behind Sonny he slammed his fists against it and turned towards his room, ready to let his anger boil over, however the more things he found to break, the more reasons he found to keep them in tact.

He couldn't tear the legs apart on the coffee table, that was where Elizabeth gave him a strip tease. The couch was a place he had taken her more times than he could count. The desk that wasn't far from the door was where she sat and did her Accounting homework while he ordered Kelly's take out and the pool table, God knew that he couldn't touch the precious pool table.

He had thrown Elizabeth out of this penthouse once before and along with it he tried to rid himself of the memories. It was useless. He came home to find that Lily was cleaning up his penthouse and he ordered the repairs to be halted. He wanted to fix the coffee table, he wanted to reattach the couch legs, he wanted to make sure that the pool table was restored to its previous condition. He had broken those things and he wanted to mend them. Now, as he sat here consumed with fury, he couldn't bring himself to break a beer bottle. All he kept thinking about was her reaction, her face when she found out the kind of animal he could become.

"_Lily and I," Sonny said quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "We're having a baby Jason."_

He remembered the way his friend looked at him, pity in his eyes as he relayed the joyous news that seemed to be a burden. Sonny and Lily were carrying the child that Elizabeth lost. Their bundle of joy would be born in early July, the same due date that Elizabeth would have had. Sonny and Lily would be able to rejoice in their baby; Jason had simply killed Elizabeth's.

"_We have…" Sonny cleared his throat, "We haven't told Elizabeth. We just found out actually. We wanted to…I wanted to make sure that you heard it from me."_

Jason wanted to confirm with his mentor that the words that came out of his mouth were a lie. The way that Sonny was fidgeting, almost sweating, made him think that he and Lily drew straws as to who would tell the feared enforcer the troubling news. Lily usually was the one that helped him deal with his emotions but Jason knew that she wouldn't be able to handle the hate in his eyes when he heard the news.

"_I'm sorry, Jason," Sonny said._

Hate for himself.

There was no need for Sonny to be sorry, there was no need for Lily to hide in her penthouse in shame and there was no need for Elizabeth to feel the loss that she was going to succumb to all over again when they broke the news to her.

If he had stepped up and been a man none of this would have happened. If he would have walked back into this door all those months ago, if he would have stopped Elizabeth from walking off with Sly Eckert, if he would have gotten her out of town quicker, if he would have stepped in front of that damn gun. No one would be hurting, no one except him.

Jason finished the rest of the beer and slammed it down on the hardwood floor beside him. He had no idea how long he had been sitting against the leg of the pool table but his back was stiff and his legs were getting numb. He had no intention of moving, he wasn't sure if he was ever planning on it, but he was annoyed at the fact that the bottle remained strong in his grip, refusing to break.

"I'll break you, bastard," he gritted.

He slammed the bottle against the floor, again and again, until the bottom half shattered into pieces and Jason was left with a cruel looking weapon. He snorted, thinking of the times he used these in bar fights, before chucking the piece aside and running his fingers through his spiky hair.

He knew that he should find Elizabeth. He should be the one to tell her that Sonny and Lily were having a baby. He was just afraid, scared of the look that would appear in her eyes, the one he was always worried about, that flicker that read that he was a monster. After all that he had done Elizabeth still looked at him at times as if he were the only man on this earth. When she heard about this she would probably wish that she had never met him.

She probably wished that he was burning in hell.

"Then I'd be burning with you."

Jason whipped his heard around and was surprised to find that Elizabeth was mere inches from him, brushing strands of hair from his face as her fingers gently caressed his cheek. She was here and apparently he was speaking out loud.

"What are you…?"

"I spoke with Sonny and Lily," she whispered as she gently sat down beside him, on the other side of the broken glass. Her eyes then quickly took in his apartment and the half case of beer that he went through, "They told me."

Jason thought that they must have told her something else. She was still looking at him the same way she always did, with a little something more mixed in, pain. Oh God she was pain and he was sure that he was the cause of it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he reached out to touch her, only to pull his hand back as if he had been burned, "I'm sorry for all of this. I wanted nothing more than to make your life better and look what I did, Elizabeth?"

"What did you do?" she whispered as she reached for his hand and squeezed it, "You hired me? You became my friend? You're helping me pass Accounting."

"I killed your baby."

He looked away from her, he had to, when he heard her gasp and she pulled her hand away, pressing it over her mouth. He could almost hear the silent tears slid down her face, almost hear the sob that she tried so hard to stop. It was all pounding inside of his head with the voice that deemed him the devil that caused all of this.

"No, no," she ground out as she took his chin in her hands and forced her to look at him, "Is that what's been eating at you? Is that what you've been keeping inside these past few months? I tried and I tried to get you to talk to me and I know that Lily has been beating her head against a wall when it came to you Jason but I can't…why didn't you come to me?"

"With what? An apology?" he asked with a humorless laugh, "Somehow 'I'm sorry I killed your child' doesn't seem suffice."

"Luis Alcazar killed my child."

"It was my bullet."

"It was my husband!" Elizabeth shouted in his ear, "And to think all this time that you've been suffering in silence. Jason, don't you think that I'm hurting too? This was our child that I lost…let me finish," she snapped when he opened his mouth, "Our child, our daughter that was taken from us, not me Jason, us. We should be sharing our grief not hiding it from one another."

"I can't share it with you," Jason said looking down at their linked hands, "Not when I made you go back to that bastard. I have done nothing but push you away and cause you pain and…"

Elizabeth laughed as she wiped the tears from her face with her free hand, "Nothing but pain? Jason, you took a lost girl in from a storm, you are the reason I had food on my table, you are the reason I felt safe and secure. I was so wrapped up in that, I forgot someone was chasing me, I forgot I was on the run; I knew nothing other than the fact that I had this wonderful man to come home to. You gave a whore a second chance at life."

"Elizabeth, you are not, nor were you ever, a wh…"

"You give me a reason to get up in the morning," she whispered as she twisted her body and leaned closer to him, "I was there. I was at that point where I wanted nothing and no one and I was ready to end it all and you came in, like this angel, and you wouldn't let me give in. You broke down my walls and you wrapped me up in your warm leather coat and you took care of me. Jason," she whispered as she leaned closer, her tears falling on his tee shirt, "You gave me a reason to dream again, to look forward to tomorrow, to be thankful for today. I only wish I could do the same for you."

Jason leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, sliding his fingers through her chestnut locks and pulling her closer. This is what she could give him, this is what he needed, to be buried inside of Elizabeth, to be wrapped up in her. He moaned softly as he moved his other hand and twisted it in her curls.

For the first time in months, Elizabeth felt alive. It as if someone had lit a fire to her veins and her whole being was ignited. Being with Jason was indeed like being home. It was the once place she could always go to when things became too much. Sliding her arms around him she pressed her body against his, her backside easily sliding into his lap.

Jason felt the temperature in the penthouse start to climb as he kissed Elizabeth over and over, her small little sighs getting caught up in his lips. Then his tongue slid out of his mouth and joined hers, the familiar taste of beer causing her to groan as she ran her nails along the nape of his neck. He knew that this was wrong but when did he ever do anything right?

"You're my reason," she whispered as he pulled back slightly and pressed kisses to her damp cheeks, her tears disappearing under the warm lave of his tongue. He moved back to her mouth again, kissing the corners before her tongue slipped out to dance with his.

"Do me a favor," Jason whispered as he pulled back and pressed a kiss to her warm lips, "Don't go."

Elizabeth moaned softly when he kissed her again, his tongue meeting with hers briefly before she pulled away this time, a smile lingering on her lips. Her eyes were sparkling and she could see a small flicker mirrored in Jason's eyes.

"Try and get rid of me," she smirked as she felt his hand sliding up her back and her body being lowered towards the floor.

She was held in place when they both heard a small knock on the door behind them. Jason righted her and she sat still in his lap when the knock came again and Lily's voice drifted through from the other end.

Jason was the first to shift beneath her and Elizabeth moved, scurrying to her feet and straightening her shirt. She looked up at him, saw the desire lingering in his eyes and decided that she had better be the one to answer the door.

"Hi," Lily smiled as she stood there with Sonny by her side, his arm lopped around her waist, "We just wanted to make sure that you two were okay."

Elizabeth turned back towards Jason and watched him walk towards her, rubbing the stiffness out of his neck as he tried to get his legs to work normally again. The desire still lingered and so did a little of the pain. She smiled up at him when she felt the palm of his hand touch the small of her back and he smiled back, a small sparkle in his eyes.

"No," Elizabeth said shaking her head as she looked back at Lily and Sonny, "Right now, we're not okay," she smiled back up at Jason, "But we will be."


	36. Chapter 36

Elizabeth pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and smiled. Her life, which was at one time painful and almost too bleak to live, was suddenly turning into an amazing gift that she couldn't stop thanking God for. She still couldn't believe that she was here, sitting at _Lily's_ and she was the owner of it.

Technically she wasn't the owner. Jason Morgan was the name who appeared on paper for legal reasons but Sonny assured her that _Lily's_ was hers, lock, stock and barrel until she decided otherwise. The trade was her shipping industries for the club that changed her life. How in the hell was Elizabeth going to say no to that?

Of course she talked it over with Jason and he made her aware that the shipping industries were going to be something that she would want to be involved in. It would give her more control over what she brought in and the money flowed a lot better in the importing and exporting business. He and Sonny however thought she should hold off on that until she actually received a college degree. They thought that something like _Lily's_, a club she had one time had managed, would be a great way for her to get her feet wet.

Since her birth certificate still kept getting in the way, Jason volunteered to have his name on the tax paperwork until November 1st of this year and Elizabeth couldn't be more pleased. It meant spending more time with Jason and trying to continually reassure him that she needed him in her life, with or without Accounting homework.

Going back down to the books in front of her Elizabeth laughed. She even loved the fact that they didn't balance and she was the one that was stuck here until she could figure out how to fix the problem at hand. The only way life could get any better than this would be if Jason decided he didn't care about her age and he wanted to be with her.

Elizabeth was well aware that hell was not getting cold anytime soon.

"Can I get some service around here or is the sign true and you really are closed?"

Elizabeth smiled as her old friend walked into the club with open arms. She slid off of the bar stool and hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek and she stepped back and looked at him. It had been way too long since they were able to spend any length of time together.

"I've missed you," she smiled, "How was Miami?"

"Another goose chase," Sly shrugged as he watched Elizabeth walk behind the bar and pull out his favorite beer, "That's my girl. So, how have you been? What's with all this?" he asked taking a sip and motioning around with his finger.

"_Lily's_ is no longer a strip joint," Elizabeth grinned as she leaned her elbows up on the bar, "It's being closed down for renovations and then it's going to be opened up as a club, a dance club, with a bar type atmosphere. We're also going to have an underage night." She grinned, "Sonny even gave me the privilege of keeping on the girls that I wanted and firing the rest. Booted that bitch face Candy out the door so fast," she laughed, "And I threw her cheap luggage after her."

"You're running this joint?" Sly asked with a grin, "I'm proud of you, Lizzie. You earned this."

"Well Jason's name is on the lease," she rolled her eyes when Sly cursed under his breath, "It has to be because of my age. Sonny is dealing with my shipping industries and I talked him into going to you for advice. I said that no one knew Alcazar's holdings like Alcazar's right hand man. Expect a phone call soon," Elizabeth winked.

"You didn't have to do that for me," Sly said quietly as he placed his empty bottle on the bar, "You've done enough. Corinthos let me stay in town because of you," he snorted, "Morgan let me live because of you."

"He's not still giving you a hard time is he?" Elizabeth asked quietly, "I can talk to him…"

"That'll make it worse," Sly said leaning over the bar and reaching for another bottle, "Trust me. I've dealt with men before, jealous men, who want to do nothing more than keep you out of their woman's line of vision."

"I'm not Jason's woman," she scoffed when Sly looked at her with raised eyebrows, "I'm not. Jason made a conscious decision that he doesn't want to be with me because of my age so we're not together, simple as that."

"Doesn't mean the guy doesn't care for you," Sly said, "Jason has made it clear to me and quite a few other people in the business that you are to not even be looked at."

"Then everyone should be treated equally," Elizabeth said, "I've seen how he treats you Sly. He overworks you, he's harder on you, he's always pushing the envelope when it comes to you."

"It's because he thinks that I'm in love with you, Lizzie," Sly said, "I would do the same thing if I thought for one minute that my girl's ex was coming into town and trying to reclaim her. It's a male pride thing. He's doing what he can to make sure I don't get you back."

Elizabeth laughed, "Sly, that's ridiculous. You and I could never go back there, there's too many painful memories for us to even try. And for him," she laughed again, "To think that you're in love with me…"

Elizabeth let the phrase linger when she noticed Sly's eyes avoiding her and his lips were wrapped around the long neck bottle taking gulps at a time. She shook her head not wanting to believe it. Sly's silence couldn't mean what she thought it meant.

"Stop sweating it out. I'm not going to reach across the bar and fondle you," he said as he put his beer back down, "And I'm not trying to step on Jason's territory."

"I am not his territory," Elizabeth said firmly, "And I wish you would have said something."

"What would you like me to say, Lizzie? I already told you I was a fool, that I made a mistake by letting you go, that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know you're right and I know that nothing good could ever come of us but you're…" he laughed softly, "You're too damn beautiful Lizzie and it's not that hard for a man to fall in love with you.

Elizabeth looked down at her hands until she felt Sly's fingers under her chin, kicking it up so she could look into those light eyes of his, seeing the pain and the love reflecting all at the same time. Her wonderful world didn't seem so wonderful anymore.

"I'm not waiting around for you," he said, "I know I don't have a snowballs chance in hell with Morgan around but I want you to know that you're still my friend and I want that to always remain. We've gotten each other through some rough times, Lizzie. I don't want that to ever change."

"It won't," Elizabeth said softly, "And you know that I love you, just not in the way…"

Sly nodded, "And I also know that when you open the doors I'm going to be on the invitation list and you are going to help me nab some very pretty women."

Elizabeth laughed, "You've got a deal."

"Alright," Sly said hopping off the bar stool, "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" she asked, "I have books that I…"

"Take 'em with," Sly said, "I just got a new car and I'd like you to be the first one in the passenger seat. You've got to see it to believe it, Lizzie."

"What did you get, Sly?" she laughed.

"2005 Mustang GT, custom made. The dashboard changes colors Lizzie, seats are all leather, it's pitch black. It's awesome."

"Can I drive it?"

"No."

Elizabeth frowned as she grabbed her books, "That's not a very nice thing to say to the woman that you love."

"Tough shit," Sly said holding the door to the club open for her, "Passenger seat only."

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him, "You're lucky you're cute."

Sly chuckled, "I'm lucky you're keeping me around."

Jason looked up from where he was unlocking his door and turned to see Elizabeth and Sly stepping off of the elevator. They were both laughing and Sly his arm looped around Elizabeth's waist as he walked her towards the door of her penthouse. He knew that he sent the kid down to Miami but the young hot head just didn't want to stay put.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked walking towards them.

"Jason, hey," Elizabeth smiled, "Sly just got this new car and he…"

"You were suppose to be down in Florida," Jason said glaring at Sly, "I told you that business down there needed to be completed and you weren't suppose to come back until it was done."

"You need to catch up with your partner there Morgan," Sly said, "I spoke with Corinthos this morning and he gave me the okay to head on home."

"You don't answer to Sonny you answer to me," Jason said, "And I want your ass back down…"

"Jason that's enough," Elizabeth snapped, "Sly has been working awfully hard lately and I…"

"Stay out of it Elizabeth," Jason said.

"Don't talk to her that way," Sly said stepping in front of Elizabeth, "I told her that I didn't need her defending me to your paranoid ass but Lizzie takes care of the people she cares about. There's no need to be angry at her."

Jason took another step towards Sly, "Get back down to Miami, tonight."

Sly smirked, "Make me."

Jason grabbed Sly's coat and slammed him up against the wall beside them. He had his hands twisted in the man's tee shirt while Elizabeth was busy tugging on Jason's leather jacket, begging him to release the enforcer in training. He did, stepping back and looking down into the startled blue eyes of the woman he cared about too damn much.

Moving past Elizabeth, Jason headed back to his own penthouse.

"I'm sorry she's not fucking you but you need to stop taking it out on me."

Jason turned back around and punched Sly in the eye, causing the man to fall to the ground in pain before he kicked him in the ribs for good measure. Elizabeth gasped and he didn't stay around to wait and see how she would heal her former lover. He continued on to his penthouse and slammed the door behind him.

"That's what you get for being an ass," Elizabeth growled, "Now get the hell out of here and I'll talk to you tomorrow," she started towards Jason's penthouse, "There's another asshole I have to deal with."

Jason looked up when his door was thrown open and Elizabeth stepped inside, slamming it behind her. She advanced on him, her tiny hands curled into fists, one waving violently at him while her eyes flashed.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are," Elizabeth snapped, "But you have no right choosing my friends and deciding who I should or should not be hanging out with. Sending Sly all over America to make sure we don't spend time together is moronic Jason. We still talk every night on the phone and he does find ways to see me. We're friends, that's it."

"He's not good for you," Jason said quietly, "And he still has to prove himself."

"Proving himself is one thing," Elizabeth said, "Making sure that he spends weeks at a time in cities so he's not taking me out to places is another. Sly has been nothing but loyal to you and Sonny since the day he pumped bullets into Alcazar's chest. He deserves respect from you."

"He's lucky I let him live."

"That wasn't your choice!" Elizabeth yelled, "He is my friend, he is my companion and if I want to spend anytime with him that is my decision. You don't get to chose who I see, Jason. You gave up that right."

"Giving up that right didn't make it any less difficult, Elizabeth," Jason said as he moved away from her, "It doesn't make it any easier."

"I don't care," Elizabeth said, "You were the one who chose to keep things platonic between us. You were the one that decided you could break every other law except this one. You were the one who wanted to be just friends."

"We had to…"

"So stop this idiotic thing with Sly," she continued, "Don't overwork him, don't send him out of town, because if I want to sleep with him…."

"Elizabeth, this isn't…"

"I am going to," she said, "And I'm not going to explain myself to you or anyone else."

"You have no idea what you're doing," Jason said quietly.

"You let me go!" Elizabeth snapped.

"That doesn't mean that I'm not still in love with you!" Jason shouted.

Elizabeth froze. She couldn't have heard that right. Jason had never told her that he was in love with her. They had fallen into bed first, then moved in together and she knew that she had fallen in love with him but she never knew that her feelings were returned. He had hated her, he had saved her and he had killed for her but never had he admitted how he really felt. He was in love with her.

And it was killing him.

Jason watched as the emotions played over her face. He watched as she absorbed it, the words that he had wanted to say but had been unable to. At first he was afraid, afraid to love the way he did with Robin because she had left him. When he suddenly realized that it was too late, that he was already in love, he found out that Elizabeth had lied, her life was a sham and things started to spiral out of control. She was too young for him, she had lost a baby, he couldn't love her the way his heart wanted. Instead, he tried to control her life and now he was only making things worse.

She was looking at him, but still she said nothing, her dark sapphire eyes were revealing pain and also unshed tears. He had somehow managed to do it again, to hurt her without even knowing how and he hated that more than anything else in this world. He moved towards her, one tiny step and when she didn't move as well he decided that it was lost, it was over, it was time to stop fighting the war that was raging inside of him.

Moving past her, he fought the urge to reach out and kiss her. He fought the urge to pull her back into his arms as she had been a few weeks ago, comforting him, telling him lies, assuring him that none of this was his fault. He couldn't any longer. He had lost the will to fight and he was tired of the damn battle. He stayed strong, he stayed solid, he stayed the cold enforcer.

"I'm leaving town," he said quietly, "You deserve so much better than this. Goodbye Elizabeth."

The slamming of the penthouse door caused Elizabeth to jump and snap out of her revere. Jason loved her, Jason loved her like she loved him and there was a chance for them. She knew it, she felt it. It would be seven long months before she turned eighteen but she was planning on waiting for him and he was…

He was leaving. He had said goodbye. Elizabeth turned around and threw open the penthouse door running towards the elevator and almost colliding into Sonny and Lily who were coming back from a night on the town.

"Elizabeth, what's going on?" Lily asked, "Where are you going?"

"To stop Jason from making the biggest mistake of his life," Elizabeth said as the doors started to close, "And don't wait up!"

"_But we were unable to save the baby."_

Jason looked down over the bridge as the words repeated themselves in his mind. The words that were uttered from his mother's mouth, the words that barely reached his ears. Elizabeth had lost a baby, her unborn child, all because of him.

"_That your bullet killed my child."_

It did, it was a bullet meant for him that killed her child. Elizabeth had apologized afterwards for saying what she did but Jason knew that it was the truth. He didn't care how distraught she was, he didn't care that the bullet saved his life. He should have been the one to die, not an innocent baby and Elizabeth couldn't have been more right. Not after the way he had taken her.

_Tears were being shed on both sides, anguish and anger mixed as their bodies mated, thrusting, rubbing, touching one another, scraping, pulling, nipping, anything to get some type of release, release from the hatred, release from the love._

"_I want you out of the penthouse by the time I return." _

Like an animal staking its claim Jason had slammed her up against a door and pounded inside of her until he could pleasure himself. There was nothing involved in that moment, he was giving her the world that he had lived in, a world of nothingness. Elizabeth accepted it, she took every ounce that he had given her because she thought that was the last time he would ever touch her.

And it was. It was the last time he would ever make love to Elizabeth Webber but that moment wasn't full of love, it was filled with hate, with anger, with rage and out of that bore a child who was never able to see the light of day.

Slamming his fists against the concrete that refused to break Jason felt the hot tears slid down his face. He didn't want to shed those tears. He felt that he had no right. He would gladly love to lay claim to the child that Elizabeth lost but how can you claim something that you didn't want to begin with. He merely wanted it after the fact and that meant nothing. The child was gone, Elizabeth was miserably and him being around made it worse.

He had to disappear, he had to escape. He had to make it to a place where he would never see her again. He knew though that her face would always haunt him, that the words, the memories, the moments would follow him wherever he went. Elizabeth with her charming laughter, Elizabeth with her naughty smirk, Elizabeth covered in blood, Elizabeth losing her baby.

Letting out a roar Jason pushed himself away from the wall and turned, ready to hop on his bike and drive out of Port Charles, as fast as he could, going as far as it would take him, just needing to put the physical distance between him and the woman she lived.

But it was too late, she was there, standing in front of him, tears running down her face.

"I love you," she whispered, "I love you more than you realize Jason, more than you might ever know and I want to help you but I can't. I have no idea where this is coming from. You can't…you can't lay that on me and just walk out. You can't pretend that you're hearing what I'm saying and than block it out the next day. You can't put my life back together and then walk away because it will fall to shambles again."

"I did this too you," he choked out as he stepped away from her, "That was my bullet. You said it. It was your baby, your baby Elizabeth."

"I didn't make the baby alone," she said stepping towards him and grabbing his arm, "You were in that room with me and you were inside of me and…"

"I slammed you against the door," he said struggling to pull away from her but he found himself weak, "I took you without you even asking and I had my way with you. I hated you in that moment Elizabeth. My angry seed put a…"

"Don't you dare!" she screamed slamming her palms against his chest, "Don't you ever, _ever_, say to me that you took me without my permission. Every moment that I had with you Jason Morgan was the best of my life. We got heated and we got passionate and we got loving and we got sensitive and whether it was in our bed or against the door it didn't mean any less to me." Her lip quivered as she wiped away her tears, "I wasn't aware that it meant less to you."

"I'm not saying that, Elizabeth," he whispered, "I would never say that."

"Then what are you saying?" she asked, "Because our baby was not created in a moment where rose petals were scattered about the bed and candles weren't lit that it wasn't worthy of your love? That's what it sounds like to me Jason. It sounds like you couldn't love our baby because it wasn't created in the most romantic of circumstances."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" she yelled, "Because this has been my child, my mistake since day one."

"That baby was not a mistake," Jason said stepping towards her, "Our child…"

"Then grieve damn you!" she yelled again as she pounded on his shoulders with her tiny fists, "Open up your heart and show me that you loved this baby as much as I did. Show me that this child meant something to do you."

Jason shook his head and turned away, "It's not that simple."

"No," Elizabeth cried as she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her, "You are not going to walk away. You are going to face this."

Elizabeth reached up and wrapped one arm around Jason's neck, pulling him towards her. Her other hand took his and placed it on her stomach. He tried to fight with her but she could feel the resistance inside of him fading. He needed this closure as much as she.

"Our baby would be right here," she whispered, "And our baby would be growing inside of me if it weren't for my husband. And I'm sorry Jason," she whispered as she felt the tears spill from her eyes, "I'm sorry that my body wasn't enough to protect this child. I'm sorry that I wasn't a safe home for your baby. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, no," he cried as he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his damp face in her dark curls, "No Elizabeth. This wasn't your fault."

Elizabeth's fingers twisted in his cotton tee shirt as she pulled back and struggled to look up at him. He was crying openly, the first she had ever seen him do that, and he didn't seem to care anymore. His eyes were naked, the shield he held so valiantly was no longer up and Elizabeth could see everything that he felt; the pain, the anger and most importantly the love.

"Then why can't you believe that it wasn't yours either," she whispered as she wiped away some tears with the pad of her thumb, "Why can't you see Jason that this was our baby, created in a moment that was passionate and real? Why can't you see Jason that this baby, had he or she been given a chance, would have loved you for the amazing father that you would have been?"

"No," he whispered as he let his forehead fall against hers, "Elizabeth…"

"Why can't you see that I'm in love with you as much as you are with me?" she whispered as she pulled him into another embrace, "If you can't see it, feel it," she pulled his hand back to her stomach, "I'm feeling it too."

Elizabeth felt his arms encircle her waist again and then she felt herself being pulled down. Jason's legs had given out from under him and he felt back against the stone wall of the bridge. He was crying, choking on sobs as he held her tightly against him. She was crying too, soaking his tee shirt as words tumbled from his mouth.

He loved her. He seemingly always did. He loved their baby. He missed their baby. He wanted to do harm to everybody and everything for the loss of their child. He wanted her close but he couldn't allow himself the pleasure of having her by his side.

He closed his eyes, he held her tight and finally he admitted that he had lost a child.


	37. Chapter 37

Elizabeth let her eyes drift up from where they were reviewing the material in her textbook. Jason sat across the room from her, in one of his plush leather chairs, working on the books for Lily's club. The inventory and delivery charges were always the hardest part for her and Jason was continually there with a pencil in hand.

It had been one month since that night back in April where she found him on the bridge in pain, ready to run out of Port Charles, ready to leave her life forever. It had been one month since she took him in her arms, cried with him, felt the pain with him and helped him realize that it was his loss as well as hers. It had only been one short month.

Dealing with the loss of their child was still a day to day process. Elizabeth was living with a woman who was carrying the baby that should have been hers. She watched Lily daily, her stomach extended, her face taking on a pregnant glow and her husband doting upon her and making sure that she never wanted for anything. Elizabeth couldn't remember being so utterly ecstatic and devastated at the same time and whenever she wanted to cry out in the furor of it all, Jason was there.

At the end of the day, when she came home from school and was greeted with the family picture, he would take her hand and squeeze it. When the baby started to move in her stomach and Lily asked Elizabeth if she wanted to feel it, Jason's hand settled on the small of her back and comforted her. There were also nights, when Elizabeth showed up at his door and not a word was said. He let her in, he took her in his arms and they somehow managed to get through it together.

Elizabeth tried to focus her eyes back on her Accounting homework, but as she chewed on her pen cap she found them drifting back towards the man who had come to mean so much to her. Somewhere between the strip tease and the broken heart Jason shifted from a lover to a friend and then to someone who made a permanent stamp on her life. She saw him every day and when he was shipped out of town on business he always found the time to call. Of the five days that she had school, four of them he would come to pick her up on his motorcycle. If they weren't at Lily's club watching over the renovations, they were at the warehouse, where a small desk was now situated near Jason's so Elizabeth could work in his office with him.

He had become her constant, her reassurance; the one thing that she knew was going to be there when she woke up in the morning. He was more than Sonny, he was more than Lily and he was more than Sly. He was Jason, just Jason, and he was feeling everything she was feeling, walking the steps with her and just when she thought she couldn't love the man anymore than she already had, she was proven wrong. Her heart bled and her body ached to touch him, but she knew that she had six more months before she could even try.

And even when November came who was to say that Jason would still want her.

"Stop it."

Elizabeth blinked her eyes and realized that Jason muttered those words while he was erasing another delivery charge she messed up, "Stop what?"

"Looking at me," Jason said, "I can feel your eyes boring into my head," he looked up quickly and threw her a half grin, "Back to work and I'm double checking this time."

She wanted to lick him.

Elizabeth felt her face flame and she buried herself further into the chair and her books. She had no idea where that thought came from and while she was still very much attracted to the man across from her, she hadn't imagined being with him like that in months, consciously anyway. Subconsciously was a different story.

"I need a break," she said slamming her textbook shut and sliding it onto the table in front of her, "I need to stretch. I need a breath of fresh air. I need a game of pool."

She eyed the table and then him again, who was still looking up at her with that same smile. The pool table was not such a good idea.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair and made her way towards the long glass doors near the pool table that led outside to the cement balcony. She was barefoot, in a pair of cuffed jeans and a long sleeve tee shirt. It was May already, but the air was still cool and as Jason put it, there was barely anything too her so she needed to stay wrapped up.

Pushing open the doors, Elizabeth stepped out onto the balcony and stared at the bustling city below. That was one of the great things about Harborview Towers. The penthouse suite offered a gorgeous view of Port Charles and that of the boats that were docked in the harbor, hence the name. She smiled as she crossed her elbows and leaned them against the ledge before jumping up when she felt two warm hands massaging her shoulders.

"You seem a little tense," Jason said from behind her as his fingers worked their magic on her shoulders.

_Tense_ was not the word to describe how she was feeling right now. Tingly, sweaty and horny as hell were at the top of her list. Today her libido decided to kick back in and the man wearing tight jeans and t- shirt, standing way too close to her, was not helping. She had thought they were past the old lovers thing, she had thought they had settled comfortably well into the best friends routine and that loving one another was a nice bonus.

Nice bonus was becoming complicated.

"I'm alright," she said moving away from him and then walking a little further down the patio, "It's a beautiful day out here. I can't believe you're cooped up with me instead of taking the kids out and playing with them in the park. I'm sure they'd love to be spending time with their Uncle J."

Jason chuckled softly, "And I would have loved to take them but Sonny always takes off on days like these. You should see him in the summer; he's never in the office."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she leaned her hip against the ledge, "I'm sure you like playing in the sandbox more than you like correcting all the errors I've made."

"I like spending any kind of time with you, Elizabeth," he said quietly, "Whether it be in the office or out on the cliff roads. It doesn't matter to me," he ended with a shrug.

She wanted to reach out and twist her fingers in his shirt, pulling him close into a fiery kiss. She wanted this man; she wanted him like she did the first day she laid eyes on him. She knew the minute her sapphire orbs met his icy blue ones that he was going to be trouble.

What a delicious kind of trouble he turned out to be.

Licking her lips she looked away again and focused out on the harbor, towards the docks which would one day house her shipping offices. Sonny was going to be clearing the path in the future so that her business could merge with his own and he wanted to make sure that his daughter was well within the line of vision. He was being overly protective but Elizabeth was not going to complain. She loved the fact that someone wanted to keep an eye on her.

Feeling Jason hovering near her she realized that someone wanted to keep more than an eye on her. Turning back, she looked up at him and knew that if he made a move there was no way in hell she was going to be able to stop herself.

But this was Jason Morgan and he didn't make any type of moves.

"There's something on your mind."

"There's always something on my mind," she winked playfully and tried to move around him but found herself boxed into a corner, "I should get back to work."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

She avoided his eyes and bit her lip while she tucked a strand of loose chestnut curls behind her ears. Talking was the last thing on her mind right now and if he had any idea what she was thinking he'd probably run straight out of the room.

"Elizabeth," he whispered.

Her eyes met his again and something happened, something crackled between them. His orbs were no longer so icy and her breathing was becoming a little more rapid. They were barely touching, they stood inches apart and his fingers started to dance along her cheek. She wanted to close her eyes and cry to the lord, why oh why did he have to make a man this gorgeous and so far out of her reach.

"Hey, come back to me," he teased playfully as he tugged on a strand of her hair.

She blinked her eyes open and there he was, now centimeters away from her and all she had to do was push him away, plant her hands squarely on his chest and give him a good shove before running out the door and putting some much needed distance between them. That was all that she had to do.

Instead she grasped his shirrt with one tiny fist, slid her other hand into his hair and stood up on her toes, pressing her warm lips against his own. She had no idea what possessed her to do that, but the same devil that was dancing inside of her was now dancing inside of Jason as well. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her tight against him and then backed her against the lovely ledge and pressed their bodies so intimately together Elizabeth could feel every inch of him.

God it had been way too long. She didn't know how she made it this far without this man. The way he kissed her made her body sing, made her blood boil, made her feel alive. She eagerly slid her tongue into his mouth, letting it duel with his own as her hands slid around to his waist before moving downward and cupping his backside.

He groaned, she moaned and then she wrapped her leg around him, rubbing her core right against his. She didn't care if they got naked, this was fine enough for her dry humping pleasured many a person and right now that was what she needed; pleasure from Jason. His hands moved upward and tugged at her bra and let it snap before they twisted into her hair and pulled her face back, allowing her to see the raw hunger that was dancing in his eyes.

Elizabeth nearly came on the spot.

Her hands were everywhere, pulling the shirt out of his jeans, pushing it upward, allowing her nails to scrap his skin. She fiddled with the button on the denim, tried tugging it downward as he was laughing at her, teasing her because she was so eager to have him inside of her. This man was so foolish, he had no idea what he did to a woman, but when she stopped all her ministrations and went directly to the heart of the matter, cupping him through the rough material. She realized what she was doing to him and she loved every minute of it.

"You deserve to be taken upstairs, to be spread out on my bed, our bed, and loved thoroughly," he said as he yanked her jeans open, "But right now we won't even make it to the fucking door."

Elizabeth moaned as she pulled him back towards her and he started to kiss his way along her jaw line. She was gasping, she was still trying to strip him and he was touching her in all the places that her dreams had made her think of. She was in heaven, she was trembling and it was only about to get better.

"Elizabeth."

She moaned softly letting her head fall back.

"Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth snapped upright in her chair, her books falling onto the floor in front of her as she stared at Jason, who was looking right back at her with worried eyes. She was still panting, she was still trembling, but she was fully dressed and he was halfway across the room.

"Are you okay? Did you fall asleep?"

"I don't…" she looked around her and then rubbed her hands over her face, "I guess."

She just prayed that she wasn't moaning in her sleep, which would be a mortification she could live without. Climbing out of the chair she fanned herself quickly and then bent down to pick up the books that fell from her lap.

"I'm sorry about that, Jason," she smiled, "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"I thought that you needed a break," he said as he took the books from her and placed them on the table. He looked nervous as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I had to go shopping today and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Shopping?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "You? Shopping?"

He nodded as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, "Well, you know its Adella's birthday tomorrow and Lily and Sonny are having a party. I haven't…I didn't go shopping yet."

Elizabeth smiled sadly as she took his hand and squeezed it, comforting him in the same way he always comforted her. He was asking her to go shopping with him because it was still too hard to face little girl items on his own.

Her libido started to die down.

"I'd love to go with you," she smiled as she reached for her coat, "And you know what? I'll even let you buy me lunch?"

A smile appeared on his face, "That's generous of you," she smiled and then said "Know what else? I'll let you drive too."

"You're too good to me," he said sliding on his leather jacket.

Elizabeth grinned as she held open the door for him, "And don't you ever forget it Morgan."

"Thank you."

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled before she tossed her empty cup in a nearby trash can and they resumed walking in the mall, "You picked it out."

He nodded, "It's from the both of us, but that's not what I meant. You…you know," he shrugged.

"I know some days it's harder to breath than others," she said quietly as she slid her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, "I know that sometimes it hurts to see Lily waddling around and going out to buy toys for Adella or outfits for the new baby. It can break your heart all over again," she looked up at him, "I also know that you're here, that you're feeling it too and that thankfully Jason, I'm no longer alone."

Jason placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the crowd. "It's still painful and it hurts more than all the bullets I've taken, but I've got you Elizabeth and sometimes that's all I really need." He bent down and surprised her with a kiss on her forehead, "So thank you."

"I'm just returning the favor," she smiled and then slowed down as they approached a jewelry store. "That's gorgeous."

"That?" he asked stopping as he looked at the window display.

He didn't see much, just some diamond earrings and a very gaudy diamond bracelet. There were also gemstones of the month and a sale sign in the window but Elizabeth's eyes were focused on the least expensive piece, it was a pear shaped diamond, no more than half karat, surrounded by white gold.

"Why don't you buy it for yourself?" he asked.

She laughed as she looked up at him, "I'm fine spending my money on other people but I still can't spend it on myself. We never had any money when I was growing up, that's why my dad got in so deep, at least that's what I tell myself, that was the reason he sold me," she said quietly. "Things like this were something I could never afford. It was always something you looked at from afar, something that was always on my Christmas list."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she wiped at the tears that were forming in her eyes. "One Christmas I told Santa I wanted nothing but diamonds, lots and lots of diamonds and my mom tried, she got me this diamond looking necklace that fell apart in a week and made my neck green. She tried though. She tried until she couldn't try anymore," she shook her head; "I cannot buy it for myself."

"Maybe this year," Jason said quietly, "Santa will find you."

She smiled softly, "Maybe Morgan. Oh hey," she pointed to the large cookie stand in the food court, "I wanted to get Adella a big cookie along with her birthday cake. Sonny will hate it," she giggled.

"I'm going to pull the bike up," Jason said as he held up the large box containing Adella's numerous Barbie accessories, including plane and mustang convertible, "And I have to figure out how to attach this."

Elizabeth laughed again, "She's going to love it."

"I keep telling myself that," he said, "Meet me outside the doors."

Elizabeth smiled as she thanked the woman for her time and patience with the large cookie. She was able to get some kind of edible Barbie sticker placed on top of the cookie along with happy birthday in pink. Adella was going to love it because she loved chocolate chip so much. Elizabeth's grin grew wider when she realized the tongue lashing she was going to get from Sonny for bringing sweets into the house.

Juggling the square box with her hands, Elizabeth watched her step and headed towards the exit. It started to get dark and she was glad that Jason was pulling the motorcycle up. Trying to manage the large cookie, along with Adella's toys, would have been a feat in itself. Pushing the clear doors open with her back she made it outside and turned around, stopping dead in her booted heels at the scene in front of her.

Jason had the bike at the curb, all packages strapped down, a tall looking blond, with a chest the size of Texas and a waist tinier than Elizabeth's was sidling up to him. Her hand was on his shoulder, her eyes were sparkling and she was laughing at whatever the hell he was saying.

Jason just sat there.

Elizabeth wanted to take the cookie and throw it in his face. How dare the man, who no less than a month ago, declared that he loved her, stand there and allow some bimbo to flirt with him? Who did he think he was? She didn't care that he looked like Adonis and he was prone to having women stare at him, he was with her and he should be respectful. She planned on telling him that with her three inch heels.

She started walking towards him only to stop again and back herself up against the wall. This was how he felt. This was why Jason was sending Sly all over the country on ridiculous errands that didn't need to be done. He was jealous, a green eyed monster was raging inside of him and now it was inside of Elizabeth too. She knew exactly how he felt. She wanted to deck this girl the same way Jason did with Sly.

Groaning, she stamped her foot in frustration. She had to be mature about this. She also had to face reality. There was a large age difference between her and Jason and there was still another six months before the law allowed them to touch one another. He was an attractive man and no saint. She couldn't blame him for finding comfort in some other woman's arms.

Shaking her head and blinking back her tears, Elizabeth started towards the bike again, this time seeing the woman slid a piece of paper, most likely with her number on it, into Jason's hands. She then gave him a small wave before walking off with an extra sway in her hips. Jason had yet to notice Elizabeth and for that she was grateful because more tears were appearing.

They went away when Jason Morgan crumpled up the paper and threw it on the ground.

"Hey," he said as he stood up to stretch and noticed her approaching. He quickly took the box from her and tied it to the back of the bike. "I don't know if we'll be able to get you on here."

"I'll squeeze in," she said with a small laugh as she tried to swallow the tears in her throat, "Ready to go?"

"Here's this," Jason said holding out the helmet for her, "And this."

Elizabeth looked down at his open palm and saw the necklace that she had been staring at in the window. It was laid out in his hand, no fancy box or bow. She smiled up at him as those damn tears came back. This was pure Jason.

"I like to buy things for other people too."

He watched her take the necklace and eagerly put it on, swooping her hair out of the way so it didn't get caught. He watched her, her eyes sparkling; her face lighting up like Morgan's did when they got a sundae at Kelly's. She was so beautiful and he still couldn't believe that she loved him.

Jason vowed to buy her a diamond every week.

She stepped up and placed a kiss on his cheek, "Now I'm ready to go."

Jason helped her secure the helmet on her head and they managed to both fit onto the bike, roaring out of the mall parking lot with Elizabeth's laughter dancing in his ears, even more determined now to somehow make the six months move faster.


	38. Chapter 38

Elizabeth sat at the large square table in Sonny's dining area in the penthouse with a goofy grin on her face. She was daydreaming and she knew it but she didn't give a damn. A little over an hour ago she returned home from Port Charles University with her grade report in her hand. She had managed four A's, which meant that she was now carrying a four point zero average. The biggest accomplishment for her was that 'A' in Accounting.

Originally her grade was a high B, which more than pleased her; however her professor told her that he admired her determination, and refusal to quit when it came to accounting, which is subject that always has to balance but never seemingly does so. He said that because of her perfect attendance combined with her willingness to face things head on, he was bumping her grade up to an A, so she got an A, in Accounting no less, and the first thing she did was go home to tell Jason Morgan

He was going out as she was coming in, but he still took the extra few minutes to listen to her, to become excited with her, and then to do something that was completely out of character: He actually picked her up and twirled her. She laughed so hard and hugged him so tightly that he felt the need to do it one more time.

Then he put her back down on solid ground, tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and told her that he was proud of her, that she was making something of herself, that she would one day be a great example to the daughter he knew she was going to have. He would be around to tell that little girl just how wonderful her mother really was.

And then the bastard left, he told her that he had a lunch date with Lily. Elizabeth was a blubbering mess, but it wasn't tears of sadness. No, they were tears of accomplishment. She had fought so hard for so long to prove to so many people that she could get out of the world of degradation in which she had merely existed in for so long. Even though she didn't attend a regular high school and her teenage years were spent in a strip club, she could still turn out to be a success. This perfect score of a grade report was her way there.

After she watched Jason disappear down into the elevator she gave Johnny a high five and had a chat with him about his flavor of the week. Her name was Tina, and she was short with blond hair and laughed a lot, basically at everything he said. He was going to end it tonight, before they went out, so he could make himself available for the re-opening of _Lily's_.

She came inside shortly thereafter and called Sonny, leaving him a message that she had received her grades and she thought he would be proud. She plopped down in the chair she was in now, propped her chin in her hands and started to gaze into space, thinking about what her life would be like four years from now when she graduated and what Jason Morgan's role would be in it.

"I'm glad I stopped and got the chocolate ice cream because you look like you need it."

Elizabeth smiled as she uncurled from the chair and stood up, "What are you doing home in the middle of the day?"

"I received a call from someone telling me that you got good grades," Sonny grinned as he walked into his penthouse suite with a gallon of Breyer's chocolate ice cream, "That was from you, then Jason called and told me that I should be home to congratulate my daughter and so here I am."

"You didn't have to come home early," Elizabeth laughed softly, "And bearing gifts at that."

"I have to keep ice cream in the house," Sonny grinned, "Ever since the midnight runs for Lily I'm always stocked up, just never with chocolate. I know it's your favorite so I had to get it. Make yourself comfortable again and I'll go put some in a bowl for you."

"Two scoops," she said holding up her fingers.

Sonny chucked her chin, "I'll make it three."

Elizabeth chose to sit on the couch this time and she buried herself among the pillows waiting for Sonny to return. She had a few short hours remaining before she had to be at the club to make sure that everything was in order for their grand re-opening tonight. She knew that in legal terms it was Jason's club but the success of it rested squarely on her tiny shoulders and she was thrilled with the opportunity that Sonny had handed her.

"I didn't mention it," Sonny said as he walked back into the living room, his dress shoes clicking against the hardwood floor, "This week anyway. I'm proud of you, Elizabeth. Lily is too, we all are. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if in four years from now you decide to leave all of this behind and go legal," he grinned.

"I'd never do that," Elizabeth smiled as she took the bowl from Sonny, "This is my life, right here, with you and your family and with Sly and the guards. I can't see myself separated from that and it's weird," she laughed softly as she took a small spoonful and tasted it, "Because since I was fourteen all I was trying to do was get away from it."

"You include me," Sonny said as he slid his arm along the back of the couch, "And Sly of course and the guards who have become quite attached to you but someone was missing from that group. You don't see Jason as a part of your life in four years?"

Elizabeth took another spoonful of her decadent ice cream before she answered, "I want to see him as part of my life four years from now but I can't decide for Jason. He might not want to be with me in four years."

"You've been through a lot together," Sonny said, "I know you care about him and I know that Jason cares about you too."

"Jason is the one who decided that things should be platonic between us," she said quietly, "And I'm not fighting him on that, not any longer. You have enough trouble with the law, my relationship with him does not need to be added to the heap of things," she sighed as she swirled her ice cream around, "And he's ten years older than me, Sonny, ten years. Don't you think that Jason is going to want to be with a woman instead of a little girl?"

"I don't like to get inside Jason's head," Sonny smiled, "But I can assure you, Elizabeth, that you are far from being a little girl. You have been through more than any woman should have to experience in a lifetime, let alone someone during their teenager years. Legally, you are still a child, but in all other aspects, Jason doesn't view you that way."

"Sonny, even you can't know that," she laughed softly.

"I am your father," Sonny said, "And I can tell you that on more than one occasion Jason and I almost had to step outside because the way he was looking at you was not the way you look at someone in whom you are uninterested."

"Really?" she asked with raised eyebrows then she sighed as she finished her ice cream, "Can I ask what the point of this conversation is? It's early June and I don't become an adult, legally that is, until November. You're trying to get my hopes up over something that isn't guaranteed to happen."

Sonny reached over and took Elizabeth's hand, "I see the way you look at him and I saw the way you were when I walked into this suite a few minutes ago. You're in love with him, Elizabeth, any person can tell that and I'm sure that Jason is well aware of it."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, "He says he was in love with me too, at least he was in April."

"Jason doesn't love very easily," Sonny said, "There was one woman he let into his heart. She told him that she accepted him for the man that he was and come to find out she couldn't so she left him to put the pieces of his life back together. It was hard because she was with him since the time of his accident. I never saw him look twice at another woman…until you," he smiled.

"I was annoying as hell," Elizabeth laughed softly as she rolled her eyes, "I was playing with fire and I had no idea how dangerous it was."

"I enjoyed every minute of you two," Sonny grinned, "I enjoyed watching you fall in love with him. I enjoyed watching you take care of him. As much as you are my daughter, Jason is my brother and I want nothing but the best for you both."

"What is the best for us, Sonny?"

Sonny leaned closer to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Jason told me that your professor said you were determined, that you didn't give up on those damn figures. Be determined Elizabeth, don't give up on Jason, continue to love him until November comes around. Your seventeenth birthday was hell and if you stick it out long enough, I'm sure you'll be surprised with what your eighteenth birthday will bring."

Jason pulled out a chair across from Lily, ready to sit down and apologize for the delay. He hated that he had to leave Elizabeth, but if Lily found out he was canceling on her to be with the younger woman, she would have teased him endlessly. He figured he'd spend a couple of hours with his good friend and then meet back up with Elizabeth. That decision was nearly regretted when he saw what she was eating.

"Is that peanut butter?"

"I couldn't wait," Lily said as she stuffed another nacho in her mouth, "I had to order something to hold me over until lunch."

"You're eating peanut butter on nachos?" Jason grimaced, "Lily that's…"

"I know," Lily laughed, "But it's what I'm craving and if Sonny finds out he'll kill me so promise that you won't tell him, Jason."

Jason wrinkled his nose, "I don't think he'd believe me anyway."

Lily laughed as she finished up the last of her nachos and pushed the empty plate away, placing her hands on her rounded belly, rubbing it slowly. Her smile started to fade as her brown eyes searched Jason's.

"It's not so bad anymore," she said quietly, "Your eyes. They use to dim a little when you saw me. I hated it Jason."

Jason shook his head slowly as he slid off his leather jacket and placed it around the back of his chair. He then turned and gave Lily a small smile.

"It wasn't anyone's fault," he said quietly, "You know that Elizabeth and I are happy for you and Sonny."

Lily nodded, "She tries to hide the pain, but we still see it. We don't push her. I don't want to, and I think that Sonny's too afraid to talk about the baby with her. He doesn't want to be the cause of anymore pain. The first time our baby kicked," she smiled softly, "Elizabeth was there and she placed her hand on my stomach and I just saw the tears in her eyes Jason and then she backed away, gracefully, the way that Elizabeth does and she went to you."

Jason nodded remembering that moment and remembering the way his heart ached for his child and Elizabeth, "That was when she spent the night and Sonny came over the next morning with barely contained rage."

Lily laughed quietly, "I reminded him that this was you. He's been very protective of Elizabeth and sometimes it's hard for him to remember that you have no intention of crossing that line."

"I won't," Jason said firmly.

"We know that," she said, "But the way you two look at one another," she smiled when she watched Jason turn away as his cheeks started to redden, "It's like you are the only two people in the room, like no one else exists in that moment but you and Elizabeth."

Jason was grateful for the break in the conversation when a bottle of cold beer was placed down in front of him. Lily ignored her closed menu and proceeded to order the left side of it while he chose a well done burger with fries. As soon as the waiter was out of ear shot Lily jumped right back in…with both feet.

"You love her very much."

Jason looked over at her while he took another long swig of his beer.

"Even if you would have tried to get that past Sonny, which you haven't, you would never be able to get it past me, Jason," Lily said, "I was there when Robin decided that your business was too dangerous and flew off to Paris. I was the one Sonny had to stop from going after her myself. I watched you fall in love with her and I watched you fall apart without her, those emotions, what happened back then, is nothing compared to what you are feeling right now."

Lily smiled softly as she reached over and squeezed his hand, "Be careful. I know that you and Elizabeth want to wait until she turns legal age in November but with the amount of time that you're spending with her things could start to happen and…"

Jason cleared his throat as he placed his bottle back down on the table, "Elizabeth thinks that I did this for me. She's under the impression that I'm avoiding her, relationship wise, because I'm afraid that the cops are going to lock me up. They could do it Lily, I'd go to jail for her, I'd die for her but…" he shook his head, "If someone were to find out, if hard evidence of me having a sexual relationship with Elizabeth were found, I would be arrested and I would go to trial and that means that Elizabeth would have to testify. She has been through too damn much to be put on the stand to explain that she fell in love with some man while she was trying to escape from her husband. I will not let anyone else harm her, including me."

"She's lucky to have you," Lily said, "She's lucky that you're standing there by her side through everything."

Jason's eyes flickered as he looked over at his beer and the sweat droplets that were falling form the bottle onto the crisp white tablecloth, "When you have your baby it's going to be hard for her. She's going to find it difficult to deal with it, the birth, the fussing over the baby, people coming over to congratulate you, living with the child that should have been hers. She's…" he stopped and cleared his throat, "We're going to have a hard time for a while. If she needs to stay with me…"

"Than she does," Lily said and found herself wiping at silently tears that were falling from her eyes, "I remember watching her walk out my door all those months ago, telling me that she was going to fix whatever she wronged. I thought, she can't do this alone and she is not letting me help her, but I knew that you could Jason. I knew that once she was finally able to get you to listen that you would take care of everything. You did so much more than that, you took care of it together and now Sonny and I no longer worry about what's going to happen with Elizabeth when she grows old and moves out of the penthouse," she smiled softly, "She'll always have you, Jason."

"She'll always have me," Jason said as he took another sip of his beer, "But that doesn't mean that she'll always want me."

Elizabeth stood in a small corner at the club and watched the crowd around her. Tonight had been a success, it was packed. Bodies were crammed together as the over twenty one crowd danced to the latest musical tunes provided by the disc jockey. With an okay given by Jason, Johnny was providing bouncer duty at the door, which Elizabeth knew was a cover for meeting more women. Sly was around here somewhere as was the person who made this all possible; Jason Morgan.

She smiled as her eyes drifted toward the stage that no longer held up silver poles and gaudy lights. The disc jockey was perched in the middle of it with his speakers covering every available inch. That was one rule that she had insisted upon. She didn't care that the most clubs today allowed women up on the stage to dance. She didn't want that and Jason backed her up. No one wanted to relive the memories that took place in this club.

Well, not all the memories. Elizabeth wanted to remember every moment she spent in the back office with Jason. She wanted to always remember the time she blew in with the snow and convinced him to give her a job. She would never forget the time he swooped her off the stage and carried her away from the madness that surrounded them and she knew there was no forgetting that night, out in the parking lot, in the limo.

No, Elizabeth didn't want to forget a moment she spent with the man who had helped shape her be the woman that she was today. He took her from her world of horror and made things a little bit better. He believed in her, he gave her a second chance and he loved her, torrid history and all. She had run away from Luis Alcazar looking for the one thing she never had and Jason had given her that. Because of him she was free.

"You did a wonderful job tonight."

She smiled as she reached up and wiped at the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes. He was behind her, his lips near her ear, wanting to make sure that his words would seep through over the blaring music. She turned around to face him and watched his smile turn to a frown.

"Thank you," she whispered and then cleared her throat, raising her voice, "Thank you, Jason."

"Elizabeth, are you alright?"

He reached out to touch her but she nodded her head and pressed two of her fingers towards his lips. She wanted to speak now. She wanted to say these words before she forgot again and took advantage of the man who had handed her the world on a silver platter.

"You believed in me," she said, "You gave me your position as manager for the strip club without even seeing my credentials. You told me the first day that I came home from Accounting that I was going to pass that class. You knew that I would make this club a success with or without your name attached to it. You gave me the one thing I had been searching for. Thank you," she said stepping closer to him, "Thank you for giving me my freedom, for showing me what it was like to live my life my way and no one else's."

Jason was more surprised when she removed her fingers from his lips and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close against her. He couldn't help but settle his arms around hers and bury his nose in her vanilla scented hair. He only wished that he could tell her how much he missed holding her.

She stepped back with a smile and looked down at him, "And thank you for wearing dress pants tonight although you know you didn't have to."

"I did," he said with a nod, "For you."

She laughed softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you did it for me too," he said quietly placing his fingers under her chin and tipping it up so her eyes would meet his own, "I never thought anyone would love me because of the life that I led. I thought Sonny had just gotten lucky with Lily but you…you showed me that some people don't care about what you do during the day, just that you come home at night."

"All those months ago when I walked through that door," she said, "I never imagined that I would be here Jason and I'm so glad that I am."

Jason placed his hand on her cheek and drew her closer, "I just wish that…"

"I know," she nodded as she felt his face lean towards her, "I wish it too and I'm tired as well. I'm tired of fighting it."

"Maybe," he whispered, his breath fanning against her cheek, "Maybe we should stop all this fighting."

"Jason!"

Elizabeth jumped away from him and pressed her hand against her chest when she heard the loud scream ring through the club again. She was practically pushed aside when a woman rushed towards them and threw her arms around Jason's neck, hugging him tightly. She watched as joy came over Jason's face and then Elizabeth crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for an explanation. When Jason noticed the fire in her eyes, it didn't take long to get one.

"This is my sister, Emily," Jason said managing to step out of Emily's grasp, "I told you about her."

"Right," Elizabeth smiled, relived and held out her hand, "Emily Quartermaine."

Emily looked at her curiously and then laughed softly as she shook Elizabeth's hand, "I wish I could say the same but Jason really doesn't talk much about his personal life. Except for that one time in January, before Grandfather decided to ship me off to Europe, he told me about this…Elizabeth!"

"Yes," Elizabeth laughed and nodded, "I'm still around."

"I'm so sorry," Emily said stepping away from her brother, "I really hope that I wasn't interrupting anything but Jason said that you were my age and…"

Elizabeth felt her face redden as Emily's eyes moved between the two of them. Thankfully Jason decided to step up to the plate and take that unasked question.

"It's a long story," Jason said shoving his hands in his pockets, "And Elizabeth and I are just friends. I'm helping her run the club for Sonny. Emily," he said to Elizabeth, "Just turned eighteen in May."

"Happy belated birthday," Elizabeth smiled, "And make sure that your brother takes you out for your birthday dinner and not to Kelly's."

Emily laughed, "I like you already. We have to get together and chat. Someone needs to catch me up on everything that I missed while I was gone. My Grandfather insisted that I finish out my last senior term at a European school. Normally I would have pitched a fit but Lucky disappeared with his father and Lu was over there so I didn't mind," she shrugged before turning towards Jason with an innocent smile, "I know you said that it was over twenty one and that only I could come but I had to bring Lu. She won't cross any trouble, promise."

Jason rolled his eyes and then ran his fingers through his short cropped hair. Elizabeth laughed again, realizing that face. He didn't believe a word that his sister had said and obviously this Lu person was trouble.

"May I ask who Lu is?" Elizabeth asked.

Emily turned around, standing on her toes and craning her neck before she pointed out a dark haired woman that was engrossed in a conversation with Elizabeth's favorite bodyguard, Johnny. Johnny had that winning smile on that usually made a girl swoon. Elizabeth felt the need to warn Emily's friend.

"That's her. I don't know if we're going to see her for the rest of the night," Emily laughed, "She's had a crush on Johnny O'Brien since she first stepped foot in Port Charles about ten years ago. Now that she's legal she's actually going to make a go of it," she turned towards her brother again and winced, "I can't help that."

Jason grunted and Emily waved her hand at him before turning back to Elizabeth.

"Lu and Lucky are the Spencer's kids. They are the most infamous family in town," Emily smiled, "They're Aunt Bobbie runs Kelly's."

"Oh!" Elizabeth said, "Then that means that they're related to…"

"Emmy! Emmy Q!" Sly laughed as he pushed his way through the crowd and picked Emily up in his arms, twirling her around, "Emmy, look at you, my God," he put her down and took a step back, whistling at the woman before him, "The last time I saw you girl you were all skin and bones but now, my word, Edward must have gotten pit bulls to keep the boys away."

"Sly," she blushed as she hugged him again, "What are you doing here? The last time I spoke to Lucky he said he had a hard time getting a hold of you. I can't believe it. I mean, look at you!"

Sly laughed as he looped his arm around Emily's waist, "I found out that it really is a small world Emmy because I'm good friends with Lizzie over here."

"Really?" Emily asked, "I have to hear about that one."

"That's not really a good idea," Jason started.

"Turns out, I also work for your brother," Sly said as he grinned at Jason, "But I've been kept so busy that I haven't had anytime to make it over to the Quartermaine mansion to check up on you and make sure that they didn't have you locked away in some attic."

"Oh I've been in Europe," Emily smiled, "If Lu wasn't there I would have died of boredom."

"Lu?" Sly asked grinning, "How is my cousin?"

"She's here," Emily said, "Let's go find her. She'll be as excited as I am to see you. I'll catch up with you later Jason and Elizabeth, call me, we all have to get together sometime."

Elizabeth bit her lip as she watched Emily take a firm hold of Sly's hand and lead him through the crowd, towards the other end of the club where Lu Spencer was still engrossed in conversation with Johnny. Her dark sapphire eyes then shifted towards the man beside her who was now tense with a stormy look on his face.

She cleared her throat, "I don't think Sly would ever…"

"He better not," Jason said with gritted teeth, "Excuse me, I need a beer."

Elizabeth watched Jason make his way back across the dance floor towards the bar where he dug around for his favorite bottled beverage. She then looked back to where Sly, Emily, Lu and Johnny were now laughing and talking on the other side of the room. Sly had his arm back around Emily, this time slung around her shoulders. She made a mental note to have a conversation with her best friend very soon or else she was afraid that he might indeed be sleeping with the fishes.


	39. Chapter 39

Elizabeth picked up her pace as she struggled to follow the orderly who was pushing Lily towards the maternity ward of General Hospital. A little less than an hour ago Elizabeth was faced with the harsh reality that she had been trying to avoid for the past few months: The child that was supposed to be hers was about to be born unto the two people who loved her like their own. That was what made Elizabeth's bleeding heart all the more painful.

She remembered getting up that morning, her stomach feeling queasy. Sonny had made one of his three course breakfasts and she had barely managed to get it down before feigning fatigue and making her way back upstairs. Her stomach stopped its trembling nearly the same moment Lily had cried out. Elizabeth had jumped up, ran to check on her and found her at the dining table, gripping the edges and trying to convince her children that their mommy was okay. Lily wasn't okay, Elizabeth wasn't okay and neither was Johnny O'Brien who couldn't get a hold of his boss.

An ambulance was called for Lily due to her insistence that Sonny needed to be found. Johnny rushed off personally in search of his boss while Mike had come over to the penthouse to keep an eye on his grandkids until a more permanent baby sitter could be found. Elizabeth sat there holding Lily's sweaty hands and assuring her that everything would be fine. Lily did not look at all convinced and considering that she had two previous children Elizabeth was starting to worry as well.

Elizabeth caught the door that nearly came back in her face and watched as the orderly helped Lily out of her wheelchair and walked towards a small dresser where he pulled open a drawer and handed her one of those white hospital robes. He instructed Lily that she needed to get undressed and the doctor would be in shortly. Then he was gone, the door slamming behind him and Elizabeth was left all alone with the mother to be. She stepped forward and placed her hand on Lily's arm.

"You don't have to stay," Lily said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Sonny will be here any minute, for the sake of his own life Sonny better be here any minute, and I'll be okay until then."

"Alright," Elizabeth said as she reached for the hospital gown and opened it, "But until then I'm going to stay with you and help you plan his death."

Lily laughed awkwardly as she tried to hold onto the bed frame and unbutton her jeans, "He just might kill me for my water breaking at the house. You know he just had those floors cleaned?"

"Lily," Elizabeth said as she bent down and helped the woman take off her shoes and then pull down her pants, "Sonny is not going to give a damn about that. Mike said that he would take care of it. He might actually kill Mike for not cleaning it properly."

Elizabeth smiled softly as she stood back up but she watched Lily hesitate with her top as she sat down gently on the edge of the bed. Elizabeth was familiar with the look that was now in Lily's dark eyes, it had been in Sonny's as well these past few months. They were concerning themselves with her and now she felt like even more of a heel.

"I'm okay," Elizabeth said quietly as she held up the gown for Lily to put her arms threw, "And the doctor is going to be upset when she comes in here and finds out that you have not stripped down. I'd rather we not have to explain why."

"I want you here," Lily said, "But I hate that it's causing you pain. I hate that you're here by yourself."

Elizabeth cleared her throat as she shook the robe in front of Lily. The woman finally got the hint and started to take her top and undergarments off. "I made it a long time in my life without anyone beside me. I can make it through this."

When Lily had discarded the rest of her clothes, Elizabeth helped her put on the gown and then tied it loosely in the back. She then pulled down the covers on the bed and Lily gently climbed in, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible while Elizabeth picked up her clothes and folded them neatly into a pile before setting them on the windowsill.

"Now, can I get you anything?" Elizabeth asked, "Some water, some…"

"Lily!"

Elizabeth jumped back startled when the hospital door slammed open. She was afraid the rude orderly had returned but Sonny and Johnny had run in panting. Johnny looking abashed for not seemingly getting to his boss on time. She felt bad for the poor bodyguard but Johnny would have taken it in stride. He knew that Sonny would not want to miss a moment of his new child's birth.

"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" Sonny asked as he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on his wife's forehead, "The kids?"

"Breathe baby," Lily said with a small smile, "And don't take up all the oxygen in the room, Elizabeth and I need some."

Sonny sighed as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against his wife's, "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Lily looked up at him with concerned eyes, "Elizabeth was and I'm here safe and sound. Although I think you need to rescue Mike from the children. He'll be fine for a couple of hours but he will need to get back to work."

Sonny nodded and looked over at Elizabeth. He had wanted her to stay and be with them when they brought their new bundle of joy into the world but the pale look on her face was causing him to think otherwise. He had always intended on her being here, he never intended her being alone.

"I have a suggestion," Johnny said quietly, "I can pick up Emily. As far as I know from Lu she doesn't have anything planned for the day and I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all. I'll head back to the warehouse right after that. I know someone needs to be there."

Sonny nodded, "That's a good idea. Tell her to bring Lu or whoever she wants over to keep her company and to call my cell phone if she needs anything, it's on," he watched his bodyguard turn to leave, "Johnny thank you for hunting me down like you did."

Johnny nodded, "Anytime boss."

Sonny turned back to his wife as soon as Johnny left, "Can I get you anything?"

"Elizabeth was asking the same thing until you barged in," Lily smiled, "I actually would like to wait for the doctor and see what she says. I am a little worried," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "This is my actual due date you know. Morgan was early, Adella was late, these kids are keeping me on my toes."

"I imagine Corinthos children do that," Elizabeth said as she made her way towards the door, "I'm going to find myself a chair in the…"

"Stay," Sonny said as he reached for his wife's hand and squeezed it, "For a little while, Lily and I would like that, if it's okay with you Elizabeth."

It wasn't okay with Elizabeth. She wanted to run out of the room and never look back. She hated the scene in front of her: two people madly in love and about to have a baby that should have been hers; Jason's and hers yet they wanted her to be a part of it. Well she wanted no part of it. She wanted to sulk and sob and curl into a dark corner until this was all over.

But this was Lily and Sonny, the two people who welcomed her into their home after the very traumatic experiences in her life. They adopted her, helped her get into college and practically handed her the one business Sonny named after his wife. She had to ignore every instinct that was telling her to bolt.

"I'll stay," she said with a small smile, "I also want you to know that I'm not going to fall to pieces because he's not here. I managed before him, I can manage now." She didn't want to but she would.

"I never thought you wouldn't, Elizabeth," Sonny said as he reached for her hand as well, "Thank you for making sure that my wife got here safely."

"What are daughters for?" Elizabeth whispered.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Doctor Meadows smiled as she walked into the room with a nurse following behind her, "How are you feeling Lily?"

"The contractions are still very far apart," Lily said, "About fifteen minutes," She smiled, "But my water has broken and I am experiencing severe back pain. I thought it was best that I come in and I think that everyone else agreed."

"I'm with them," Doctor Meadows said, "Excuse me, Mr. Corinthos. I want to set up the fetal monitor and make sure that the baby is doing okay. Let's just adjust the blankets and pushed your gown up a bit, okay? These may be a little cold."

Elizabeth felt herself stumbling back towards the wall as she watched Sonny move around to the other side of the bed while they set Lily up with the monitor. She wasn't sure what this procedure was and she had just hoped that the baby would be okay. Lily then cried out and Elizabeth knew the contractions had started again. Like the wonderful husband and father that he was, Sonny was helping his wife with her breathing steps, telling her to squeeze his hand as tightly as she wanted to. It was all over in a matter of seconds and Elizabeth found herself closing her eyes, wishing that she could just have someone being strong for her, aching for those warm arms that always made her feel so safe and secure.

Through Lily's moans and Sonny's encouragement she heard it; a strange thumping noise. Snapping her eyes back open she watched the joy that was on her adoptive parent's face. That noise, the weird thumping, was their baby's heartbeat. It was their baby, the one that was given the chance to live, the one that was fighting to be born.

Feeling as if the air had gone out of the room, Elizabeth reached for the heavy hospital door and threw it open, running out of the room and escaping the walls that started to surround her.

"Sonny," Lily panted.

"I know," Sonny said as he released his wife's hand, "I'm going after her."

"Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos," Doctor Meadows said, "I'm afraid there's a problem."

Sonny skidded to a halt in his Italian shoes as Lily tried to sit up more in her bed, her face stricken as she looked at Doctor Meadows.

"The baby has a rapid heartbeat."

Elizabeth couldn't remember how she had gotten here. She ran straight out of Lily's hospital room and down the halls until there were no more turns to take. Now she found herself standing here, her arms wrapped around her waist as she stared at the plastic cribs in front of her and the dozens of babies that were nestled inside. She was standing in the middle of General Hospital's nursery ward.

She was determined to be strong, to get through this and to be happy to the people that provided her with the home environment that she had craved for the past four years of her life. Elizabeth knew that she owed them that much, but her emotions weren't agreeing with her. Her insides were torn apart, her heart was breaking and her soul was crying out for the one person who could wrap her up in a warm cocoon and keep her safe and protected. He wasn't even within a hundred miles radius.

Biting her lip to prevent the tears she stepped closer to the nursery window and then jumped back when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. Elizabeth turned around and for the first time that day she had a smile on her face. It fell when she realized that the person standing there wasn't the one she was expecting.

"I'm sorry," Sly said quietly, "I didn't want to scare you. You were so lost in thought," he looked past her towards the nursery that was now at her back.

"I'm okay," she said softly, "I guess you heard."

Sly nodded as he stuffed his hands in his jeans, "Should you really be here Lizzie, by yourself? I mean, isn't this some kind of cruel punishment. Look, I'm sure that Sonny would understand if…"

"Sonny would understand a lot," Elizabeth said. "And so would Lily because that's what they do, they understand me and they forgive me but I'd never be able to forgive myself, Sly," she looked towards him with those damn tears in her eyes, "I knew this would be hard. I just…" her lip quivered and she bit down on it before she looked away.

"Have you called him?" Sly asked.

"As soon as Lily's water broke," Elizabeth said, "I know that he's somewhere upstate and his phone was out of range. I left him a message asking him to call me if he had a free minute between his meetings."

"Lizzie, you make it sound like there's a problem at the club or something happened to the shipments. Jason might not think that he has to get back to you…"

"Then he'll get to me when he can," Elizabeth said as she moved around Sly to face the wall, "He has no responsibilities when it comes to me. I'm not his wife, I'm not his girlfriend, and I'm not the mo…"

"Don't you even say it," Sly bit out, "This is not you, Lizzie. What's going on with you today?" he let out a low breath and ran his fingers through his hair, "I can't even begin to imagine how hard this is for you but the Lizzie I know…"

"I need him," she choked out before she covered her mouth with her hand and managed to compose herself, "I can't believe that I do, but I do. The last time I needed someone like this Sly I was fourteen and no one came to my rescue and to think that I'm right back there and the person that I need more than anything isn't here is just tearing me to pieces. Its bringing me right back down to the place I dug myself out of."

"You need to call him," Sly said firmly, "You need to get through to him or leave another message and tell him to drop whatever the hell it is that he's doing for Sonny and get back here to you."

"I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?" Sly asked.

"I can't put myself out there like that," Elizabeth said, "I know that Jason is hurting just as much as I am but maybe he is going to deal with it differently. Maybe he doesn't need me as much as I need him."

"Oh he needs you," Sly said before as he motioned with his head to hallway behind her.

Elizabeth turned around to see Jason coming towards her with quick strides. Her feet started moving too and she met him halfway, running the few feet between them and throwing herself into his arms, sighing as she was caught up in his embrace.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Jason whispered against her ear as he buried his nose in her hair, "I left as soon as I got your message."

Elizabeth stepped back from his embrace but kept a firm hold on his forearms with her hands, "How did you know? I didn't want you to worry, that's why I said…"

"I know," Jason said as he brushed some of her brown locks away from her face, "I could hear it in your voice. So I got here as fast as my bike could take me. Sonny left me a message too, a little while ago, telling me that I need to come home because his daughter needed me. He explained everything in the voice mail. Are you alright, Elizabeth?" he asked softly as he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand.

Elizabeth felt the tension melt away from her body with his touch. "I knew that you were away on business and I didn't want you to be worried."

"Elizabeth," Jason said softly, "I worry the minute you're out of my sight," he looked up when he heard someone clearing his throat and saw Sly standing a few feet from him.

"Everything's quiet," Sly said, "Johnny and I are stepping up today since you and Sonny are going to be busy. If anything drastic happens you'll be the first one I call. Em and Lu are with the kids so they're fine for now. Em said she's planning on staying the night if she has to," he shrugged as he made his way around Elizabeth and Jason, towards the exit, "I was out keeping an eye on things but I thought that Lizzie could use some company so I stopped by. I'm heading back out now," Sly threw Elizabeth a smile, "Hang in there alright?"

"Thank you," Elizabeth said quietly as she felt Jason's arm settle around her waist.

Sly nodded and turned around, heading towards the way out.

"Hey Eckert."

Sly turned back with a raised eyebrow.

"Thank you," Jason said quietly, "For making sure that Elizabeth was okay."

Sly could have told him that he did it for Elizabeth and not for Jason, but instead he forced a smile and nodded, "Anytime."

He then turned back around and headed back towards the warehouse where he knew he might be spending the night. He saw the look in Elizabeth's eyes as soon as she realized Morgan was there and Sly couldn't deny the connection between them. He knew that Jason could help her in ways that he couldn't.

For the first time since he met Jason Morgan, Sly was grateful that he was around.

Jason looked down at Elizabeth and saw that her head was turning back towards the nursery. He wasn't surprised to find her lingering around the maternity ward of General Hospital, but he was surprised to find her holding up as well as she was. He learned a long time ago that he shouldn't be surprised with Elizabeth, because she was the strongest woman that he had ever known.

"Did you talk to Sonny?" Elizabeth asked quietly as she moved further and further away from Jason to move back in front of the glass that separated her from all those beautiful babies, "Has Lily given birth yet?"

Jason shook his head as he moved towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, "I'm sorry that I wasn't here this morning. I should have told Sonny to send Sly to the meeting. We didn't expect…"

"You can't expect things with pregnancies," Elizabeth said, "You don't expect them to happen, you don't expect things to get complicated and you certainly don't expect to lose a child," she turned to Jason as she wiped her eyes, "But God takes things away, that much I expected. I learned that lesson at the tender age of fourteen. I'm dealing with it."

"Are you?" Jason asked as he placed his hand over where she was looking through the glass, "Because it seems to me like you're doing nothing but torturing yourself," he took a shaky breath, "You don't deserve this. If you need to leave…"

"I will not run away from this," she snapped as she looked at him with glistening sapphire eyes, "But I have every right to be mad at God for what He's doing, and you can't tell me otherwise. I have no idea why you aren't mad at Him either."

Jason took a deep breath as his hands found there way around Elizabeth's arms, "Getting mad at Him isn't going to help things," he let out a long breath, "Sonny told me that the rapid heart beat happens sometimes and that's why they're going to do a cesarean section. Her blood pressure is a little high as well but that's probably because of all of the excitement."

Elizabeth blinked as she looked up at Jason, "Rapid heartbeat?"

"The baby's," Jason said, "Sonny said that…Elizabeth…"

Elizabeth struggled to release herself from Jason's grip, and when he didn't let go, but only pulled her closer into his arms, she took her tiny fists and started to beat them against his chest while the tears finally fell from her eyes.

"No, not this baby too," she cried against his chest as her fingers curled into his shirt, "Not this baby too, Jason."

Jason held her in a crushing embrace as his fingers found their way into her hair, "Not this baby too, Elizabeth. This baby is going to survive and so is Lily," he pulled away and looked down at her tear stained face, "We need to go someplace quieter. Come on."

Elizabeth let her small hand slide into his and followed him as he made their way towards one of the side stairs exit. She lost count of how many floors they had managed their way down until Jason came to a steal door that read basement. He pulled it open and lead his way past some gated boilers and other things that lurked down there. Before she knew it, she was standing in a large bathroom with numerous stalls and a few sinks.

"It's for the maintenance people," Jason said, "There's usually no one around here, but they won't bother us once they know it's me."

Elizabeth looked up at him as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "I wasn't aware that you knew that many people in the hospital."

"I don't," Jason said as his thumb caught another tear that fell, "But this is where I came when I found out that our baby had died," he looked around at the newly repaired sink and stall door, "I figured you could use a place like this more than you could use the hospital chapel."

"You always know what I need." she said quietly, "You always let me be just me, Jason. That one phone call and you just knew. That scares the hell out of me but I'm so grateful for it."

"Why?" he asked, "Why does it scare you?"

She laughed softly as she moved around him and ran her hands through her tangled her before making her way to one of the mirrors hanging above the sinks, "Because I don't know where you'll be a few months from now. I don't know where this life is going to take us anymore. Nearly a year ago I was a little girl running from a man's world and I had no intention of falling in love with you, of carrying your child and look at me now."

"You're not a little girl," Jason said watching her, "You haven't been for a very long time and those children…you can always have more children, Elizabeth. The doctor gave you the go ahead."

"That doesn't make it hurt any less."

"I know it doesn't," Jason said, "I'm not even going to attempt to pretend that it does and I'm not going to tell you that my heart isn't hurting right now because that would be a lie and I don't lie, Elizabeth, especially to you. Thirty years from now, when I look at my children, I'm still going to always remember that I lost one, that I lost your child."

Elizabeth looked through the mirror and saw him standing behind her. The pain and the tears in his eyes caused her to look down at the sink, "That's what hurts the most, that I lost your child, that I lost the only part of you that I had left."

Jason made a step towards her, his boots squeaking against the tile floor, "We lost a child Elizabeth, but you didn't lose me. I'm right here. I'm here as long as you want me," he watched her look back up, those watery sapphire eyes meeting his once again in the mirror. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered as another tear slipped from her eye, "But I'm still only…"

"You think that matters?" he asked shrugging, "You think there's some kind of limit on love. Elizabeth," he said taking her arm and turning her towards him, "When we first got together, I thought you were only a year older, and there was still a nine year difference between us, so now there's ten, I can handle it. What I can't handle is the idea of someone else having my babies," he brushed some of her hair away from her damp face, "Or the idea of someone else fathering yours."

"That means that you'll wait for me," she asked softly as she ran her fingers up his arms, "That means that…"

"We're going to get through this together," Jason said, "And the next hurdle and the next hurdle because…" he sighed as he closed his eyes, "There's no one else for me, Elizabeth but I know that you're young and I know that…"

"I've had enough experience with men in my lifetime to know what it is that I want and what I don't want," she said with a small laugh, "And I want you Jason, today, tomorrow and every moment after that."

"If you can't go home with Sonny and Lily, if another baby's cry is too much for you," he pressed his forehead against hers, "You come running to me and we'll get through it, together, you and me."

Elizabeth nodded as her fingers found their way to his hair, "And maybe one day…"

"One day," Jason said, "When we're both ready we'll have one of our own."

"Jason Junior," Elizabeth smiled as she pulled him closer while she licked her lips, "We'll call him JJ."

"We'll talk about," Jason whispered as his breath fanned cheek, "Later."

Elizabeth sighed as his lips moved closer and she was glad that she followed Jason into this dark basement. There was no one around to stop them. No friends, no family, no witnesses. She stood up on her toes and closed the space between them not realizing that she forgot one thing. There was still Jason's phone.

He pulled back and looked down at it, "It's a text message, from Sonny."

She bit her lip as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I wasn't aware that Sonny knew how to text message."

"Morgan taught him," Jason said with a smirk as he read the message and then closed the phone, "Lily is in recovery, the baby is fine. He asked for another hour or two and then we can go see them, all of them."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, "Can we stay here? I like it here. It's oddly peaceful."

Jason chuckled, "Yeah it is," he was silent for a minute, "Elizabeth?"

She looked back over at him just in time for her lips to meet his.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Jason asked as they approached the room where Lily was settled in with her baby and husband, "We can come back tomorrow or wait until they get home from the hospital."

Elizabeth nodded and brought Jason's hand to her mouth, kissing it softly, "I'm ready, as long as you're standing right beside him, holding my hand tightly."

Jason gave her a small smile, "I feel the same way."

He bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking a deep breath and making his way into the hospital room with Elizabeth in tow. Lily was settled into the large bed with Sonny next to her, a tiny baby in their arms, wrapped up tightly in a pink blanket.

"Hey," Elizabeth choked out as she brought her hand to her mouth, unable to stop the tears this time, not even caring as they flowed freely, "It's a…um…it's a girl…"

Jason squeezed her hand and then he pulled her against his side, hugging her tightly as he felt his own eyes fill up with tears. He remembered telling Elizabeth that if he their child would have been born it would have been a girl.

"We wanted you here," Lily said tearfully as she looked at her husband, "Sonny and I wanted you and Jason to name our child but the moment we saw her, the moment we looked at her beautiful little face we couldn't, we were selfish. We named her ourselves."

Sonny moved from the bed and took the baby in his arms, bringing her towards both Elizabeth and Jason. Jason's arms came out first and held the tiny little infant in his hands, his fingers pulling the blanket away from her face.

"Meet Elisabeth Bella Corinthos," Sonny said softly, "We're going to call her Elisa."

Elizabeth choked on her tears, "You…me…you named her after me?"

"A beautiful girl named after an even more beautiful woman," Lily smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "We hope you don't mind."

"I'm honored," Elizabeth said as she let go of Jason and hugged Sonny tightly, "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I have some idea, mi hija," Sonny said quietly before he looked over at his best friend Jason, "Jason?"

Jason smiled as one lone tear slid down his face and dropped onto the soft blanket that kept the tiny little girl warm, "I think it's perfect," he smiled as he looked at Elizabeth, "Perfect."

Emily sat curled up on the couch with the remote control in her hand. Lu had been picked up about an hour ago by Johnny, who was taking her home and then heading back to the penthouse where he would keep her company until she received a call from the Corinthos'. Sonny had called and said that the baby was born but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to leave Lily that night since she had to have the baby delivered via a cesarean section.

She sighed as she shut the television off and got up from the couch stretching. There were some arts and crafts she did with the children earlier and she figured she could start cleaning them up now and have them ready for when Lily came home with the new baby. She also knew how Sonny was about keeping his house meticulous. Mike had nearly worn a hole in the floor from making sure it was cleaned thoroughly.

Heading towards the dining area she stopped when she heard a knock on the door. She smiled thinking that it was Johnny as he did the same thing when he came to pick up Lu earlier. She pulled it open ready to tell him that he had a key but was pleasantly surprised to see Sly standing in front of her, one arm slung around his waist as he leaned against the door jam.

"I came to check up on you."

"Johnny already did so," Emily smiled softly, "And I think the phone calls made every hour on the hour were enough," she laughed, "I'd invite you in but I don't think that I'm allowed to have any boys over."

"Fair enough," Sly said with a rusty laugh as he pushed himself away from the door and removed his hand from his side.

Emily gasped as she saw the large blood spot that appeared on Sly's gray tee shirt, "Sly, what…"

"How about just a band-aid then?"

She didn't have a chance to catch him before he fell.


	40. Chapter 40

Sly groaned as he ran his hand over his face. He hated being bedridden especially when the place he was confided to consisted of nothing more than a bed, dresser, television set and public bathroom. Normally, he loved the quaintness of Kelly's but this past week these four walls that surrounded him were driving him crazy.

It was his own fault and he was being constantly reminded of that by his associates. He had wanted to prove himself to Sonny so after he was haphazardly stitched up by the private doctor, he made his way back out onto the streets searching for the identities of the men who did this to him. He had worked night and day for a week, searching high and low, interrogating people the police wouldn't go near and examining areas of the city that some didn't know existed. He had some leads but nothing plausible and he was ready to admit defeat when Jason Morgan found him hunched over in an alley clutching his bloody side.

His wound was resealed and then he was told to take it easy. Of course he had no intention of listening but that was when Sonny sicked the nurses on him. Elizabeth, Lily and even his cousin Lu were checking up on him daily to make sure he was where he should be. Sonny threatened that if he tried something stupid like that again he was going to move him into Jason's penthouse where the enforcer could keep a constant eye on him. That was enough for Sly.

So he stayed here, tossing and turning with numerous pillows around him that received physical abuse every hour on the hour. He had watched so much television these past fourteen days that he felt like his brain was turning into mush and he wasn't much of a reader. The only material he was interested in viewing consisted of Playboy and Penthouse and he would never ask any of the girls to go and purchase those although Lizzie probably would.

Reaching for three or four pillows, Sly slowly sat up in the bed and slammed them against the headboard, positioned for him to recline on. When he said that he was a little uncomfortable lying in bed he was hoping someone would take him out for a walk, instead he wound up with fourteen pillows provided by the mother hens.

"Typical women," he muttered as he reached and reached for his cell phone.

There was a flashing green light on the small silver phone, indicating that someone had called and left a message for him. He couldn't resist the smile that appeared on his face when he read that he had four missed calls, each one of them from Emily Quartermaine, the one nurse that he didn't mind.

He still regretted that night when he appeared at Sonny's door step with a bloody side. He would never forget the horror that appeared on her face when she realized that he had been injured. Her wide brown eyes were the last thing he saw before he blacked out and the first thing that appeared when his eyes opened again. She was standing right beside him, holding his hand as the doctor worked on his side. Jason was fuming in the corner and Elizabeth had a tight grip on him.

Sly remembered mumbling the words thank you and I'm sorry over and over again until she ran her hand over his sweaty forehead and told him if he said it again she was going to knock him into next week. The flare in her chocolate eyes told him that she would do so and he quieted down, squeezing her hand in acceptance, and was grateful that for the first time in many years he actually had someone else to lean on.

He was beginning to understand the emotion Lizzie was talking about the night he was stabbed. It was difficult as hell admitting that you needed someone and it was even harder allowing yourself to lean on them. That was why Sly kept his distance. He liked Emily, had a great time hanging out with her, but that didn't mean that he was ready to jump in with both feet, especially with Jason Morgan's sister. After all, he did enjoy breathing.

He sighed loudly and pressed the button on the phone, ready to call her back when he heard the twist of the knob on his door. He looked up with furrowed brows. He could have sworn that he locked it last night before he went to bed. Reaching into the nightstand drawer, he slid it open silently and pulled out his gun, clicking off the safety and aiming it directly at the person that appeared before him.

"Guess I should have knocked but I assume d you were still sleeping," she smiled with her hand on her hip, "Put that away before your do more damage to yourself."

He rolled his eyes heavenward and reengaged the safety on the gun before he slipped it back into the drawer. She then walked into the room and flicked the lock behind her before making her way towards the bed, her flip flops clicking against the wood floor.

"I'm not usually that careless," Sly said, "I thought I locked that door last night."

"Oh you did," she grinned as she tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "It was Lu's shift to watch you today and she told Bobbie she would work so I volunteered and I certainly couldn't watch you with your door locked."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "She snuck you the master key?"

"Mmm-hmm."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "You shouldn't be here. If Morgan finds out…"

"He does have a first name," she said as she sat down on the bed beside his stretched out legs, "And I stopped caring about what my family thought years ago, Eckert, Jason is included in that."

Sly shook his head, "I just don't want to see him giving you grief for hanging out with me."

"I can handle Jason," Emily said as she reached over and pressed her warm palm against his wound, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright."

"Would you tell me if you were otherwise?"

"Emmy…"

"I got you something," she said standing up from the bed and walking towards her book bag which was propped up against the windowsill, "I was in here earlier and I thought that I had woken you up but you rolled right back over and I'm glad because you need your sleep," he watched her fingers flip through the large shoulder bag that she had, "I was at the campus bookstore picking things up and when I saw this I thought of you."

He watched a mischievous glint appear in her eyes as she walked back towards him and held out the magazine. When he saw what was on the cover he burst out laughing and wound up gripping his side.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she sat back down beside him.

"Playboy," Sly laughed as he swatted her hand away from his side with the magazine, "You bought me Playboy, Em?"

"I know your bored," she smiled, "And I know that you would much rather be flipping through the pictures of those beautiful women than listening me drone on about school or the crazy Quartermaine's driving me to the point of insanity."

"Hey," Sly frowned, "That's not true."

"Come on, Sly," she laughed as she took the magazine and flipped through it until she found the centerfold and held it open to him, "Are you telling me that you'd much rather listen to me talk about my parents getting divorced again than checking out the Playmate of the month?"

"I'm telling you," Sly said grabbing the magazine and tossing it onto the floor, "I'd much rather look at a beautiful woman than a fake one."

"Sly," she said softly as she ducked her head.

"Besides Lizzie, you're the first real friend I've had in a long time, Emmy," he said as he reached out and took her hand, "I like having you around. I enjoy your stories," he smiled, "I just don't want to cause a strain in your relationship with Morgan. I don't mind straining him but you I do."

She laughed, "He has a first name." She laughed again when he snorted, "And I like spending time with you too. I missed you. I missed the guy I used to pal around with. It's good to have you back."

"Who knew the girl helping me with my ant farm would turn into such a beautiful woman?" Sly asked quietly, "One who didn't even shed a tear when she saw me gushing blood from my side," he sighed dramatically, "I should be hurt that you didn't cry but I'll just take that as a symbol of incredible courage and strength."

"You, my friend," she chuckled as she pushed at his chest with her free hand, "Are a bad flirt, stop it," she laughed again when he reached out to pull her towards him, "No, don't, I'm ticklish. Eckert!"

"You enjoy it!" he laughed as she fell to the bed beside him and he rolled on top of her tickling her side, "Admit defeat!"

"Never!" Emily laughed as she rubbed against him, "Sly, stop, seriously!" she giggled.

Sly laughed as he looked down at her, her mouth parted, her eyes dancing and their bodies intimately pressed together. She had gotten her hand free and now both of them were running up and down his arm causing a wonderful friction against his naked skin. Suddenly, things were no longer funny and gravity was pushing downward to the woman he knew he should stay far away from. What was worse was that she was welcoming him.

He had never been more grateful for a ringing cell phone.

He turned to grab his when Emily sat up and flipped hers open, answering it with a yeah. She listened intently and then her eyes grew wide. She slammed the phone shut and jumped out of bed as if the devil were on her tail, throwing the Playboy at him and zipping her bag.

"Jason's downstairs looking for you. That was Lu, she says he's on his way up," Emily said as she threw open his window, "I know that I said I didn't care but if he finds me in here he is going to set your recovery back another two weeks," she threw the bag over her shoulder and started to climb out the window towards the fire escape, "Please call me later and let me know that you're okay."

"Em," he said and cried out slightly as he made his way towards the window. He grabbed her hand before she was able to dash away, "Before I forget to tell you. Thank you…for being there that night."

Emily looked away as she brushed her long hair out of her face, "You came to Sonny's, Sly."

"I came to you," Sly said quietly, "And I know now that I made the right decision."

They both looked over when they heard a loud pounding on the door and Jason calling Sly's name from the other end. Sly was the first to look back and Emily pulled away, mouthing to call her later. He sighed and shut his window after her. This was the second time that he could recall being grateful that Jason was around. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if the enforcer didn't show up.

Sly shuffled his way over towards his door and pulled it open, wrapping his other hand around his side with the Playboy gripped into it. He made sure that the Camel girl back cover was visible. Jason nodded and entered without receiving permission.

"I have some news," he said looking around Sly's sparse room. 

"What's going on?" Sly asked as he shut the door behind Jason and made his way over to his nightstand where he stuffed the magazine in the drawer.

"We haven't found who did it," Jason said as he shoved his hands in his jeans pocket, "We did find out who didn't. It wasn't anyone from Alcazar's crew. They're aware of who they're dealing with."

"Someone isn't," Sly said as he sat on the edge of his bed and looked up at Jason, "I don't like this situation at all. Johnny and I were in and out of that warehouse all damn day. It was like they were specifically waiting for me."

"They were," Jason said quietly, "There's word going around Eckert that you have a lot of information that is valuable to a lot of people. You've worked with a lot of the Midwest and you've been up and down the east coast. There are some things that you know that you might not even be aware of."

Sly sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "Please don't tell me this means what I think it means."

"Some one is coming after you," Jason said.

"And if I don't provide them with the information they want?" Sly asked.

His question was answered with silence.

Sonny sighed heavily as he stepped off of the Harborview Towers elevator and looked towards his right. There was the door that led to his penthouse and his beautiful family. For the umpteenth time in his life he regretted the choices that he made that led him down this path. He hated that they were going to be in danger once again because of the lifestyle that he led. Then again, if he didn't choose this distorted path, he would have never met Lily Rivera and she was the reason that he was still living and breathing.

Looking towards his left, Sonny made the hesitant steps that led towards Jason's penthouse. His enforcer was right now at Kelly's diner getting a black coffee to go and having a conversation with Sly Eckert about the information they learned recently. Jason told him that he would gladly come home afterwards and share it with Elizabeth but Sonny felt that the information needed to be relayed by someone who would have sympathy towards Sly. Jason had yet to reach that point in his relationship with the younger man.

Reaching in his pocket for the key that Jason gave him, Sonny slid it into the door and unlocked it. He then opened it quietly and smiled softly. Elizabeth was curled up on Jason's leather sofa, a blue afghan thrown over her, the books from the club spread out on the coffee table next to a half eaten muffin and an empty mug that once contained hot chocolate.

He knew that for the past few weeks she had been spending her nights with Jason. The first few times he had caught her she had been sneaking back over in the morning but after a conversation regarding trust they decided that there was no need to hide the fact that two of the people he cared about the most in this world were deeply in love. They both knew where to draw the line and he saw no problem with Elizabeth spending the night on the couch or in the spare room. After his conversation with her he had a fatherly one with Jason where he made himself very clear on the situation; 'touch her and die' was thrown in there somewhere.

Hating to wake her, but knowing that he had to, Sonny made his way over to the couch and shook her leg gently. He sat down at the other end as she slowly woke up and stretched in front of him, a large yawn overtaking her face. He was smiling when she blinked her eyes and sat up startled.

"Hey, what time is it?"

"It's still early," Sonny smiled, "Probably too early for you to be up but there's something I needed to discuss with you. I wanted to make sure that you heard it from me before you heard it whispered through the rest of the town."

"Okay," Elizabeth said groggily as she pulled her knees up to her chin, "What's going on? I think Jason woke me when he left and told me he'd be back later."

"He did," Sonny said, "He's got a few things to do at the warehouse and I'm not sure what time he'll be back tonight. I think it might be best if you stay in your own bed tonight. I don't want you here by yourself, even with Johnny at the door."

Elizabeth bit her lip and looked at Sonny, "This is about Sly, isn't it?"

Sonny looked away from her blue eyes and nodded, "We found out that this isn't from Chicago. No one in the Alcazar organization is going after you or Sly. It's been taken over from someone else and they are happy with what they've got," he turned back to her with his dimples, "They're smart people."

Elizabeth shook her head, "That's not good."

"What's not good?" Sonny asked.

"An unknown enemy," Elizabeth said as she stood up from the couch, "If you know your enemy you know their strengths and weaknesses. You can plan your attack, you'll haves strategies, you even know the best time to hit," she turned back to him as she stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, "When you don't know your enemy Sonny you might as well be blind. You can get hit from any side and Sly's a perfect example of that."

"Lily and I talked about not worrying you," Sonny said as he looked up at her, "We thought that you had already been through enough but I can see that we made the right decision. You would have put the pieces together on your own, Elizabeth," he sighed as he stood up beside her, "Someone is after Sly. We don't know who and we don't know where from, but we know that someone wants him for the information that he has pertaining to both organizations."

"Both organizations?" Elizabeth asked, "I'm from both organizations. Don't they realize that I have the same information that he does?"

"No, they don't," Sonny said, "And we're going to keep it that way. Men in this organization, they're cocky, arrogant. They think that these trophy wives that they marry don't know a damn thing about the businesses they're running but after a certain amount of time, Elizabeth, wives pick up on things. You did but these men don't know that and we're just fine with it."

"But Sly's in danger."

"We're going to take care of that," Sonny said, "Jason's with him right now. He's going to see if Sly can remember anything that happened at all the night that he was attacked. We need something to go on. Sly has been up and down the whole east coast, so like you said, this could be coming from anywhere. We just know that someone wants what he has and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it. They thought that Sly was alone when they attacked him. When they saw people still lingering around in the warehouse, they got sloppy and took off. Sly did the smart thing by coming to the penthouse."

"If the lights were out, if no one were around," Elizabeth said as she started to walk around the couch, 'They would have taken him, they would have tortured him and then they would have killed him."

Sonny watched her as her brilliant mind worked, putting together the puzzle that was the world of the organization. It was horrific, terrifying, but it was a way of life that some people enjoyed living.

"Sly won't break," Elizabeth said as she turned back towards Sonny and leaned her backside against the pool table, "I know that Jason still doesn't trust him but I know that you both trust me and I can tell you that once Sly is loyal, he is loyal to a fault. He chose me over Alcazar. He will choose you over anyone else because you gave him the second chance that he needed. He won't roll over on Jason either."

Sonny nodded, "I know…"

"That doesn't matter," she said as she looked out Jason's glass sliding doors, towards the Port Charles harbor, "These bastards are going to do what they want anyway, aren't they Sonny?" she turned around when he didn't respond, "It's out there isn't it? If Sly doesn't talk, someone made it real clear that he's to be hit, didn't they?"

Sonny nodded slowly.

Elizabeth turned away from him as she crossed her arms across her chest, "I need to be alone."

Sonny cleared his throat and took a step towards her, "Lily is right across the hall. She understands what you're going through, she's been there. Why don't you…"

"Please," Elizabeth said looking back towards the man she considered her father, "I'll be okay. I'll come to terms with this like I always have before. I know that one of us may not come out of this alive."

"One of us does not include you, Elizabeth," Sonny said firmly.

"I need my space," Elizabeth said quietly as she walked past Sonny and headed for the stairs, "Thank you. I appreciate you being honest with me and I'm glad that it was you who told me instead of Jason. I know he's still coming to grips with Sly being in this business."

Sonny nodded in understanding, "If you need anything…"

"I know where to go," Elizabeth said with a forced smile, "Right now I'm going to go upstairs, curl into bed and curse my biological father for once again dragging me into this damn world."

Sonny watched as she turned on the stairs and headed up, disappearing quickly from view. He sighed and closed his eyes before turning towards the door and making his exit.

"You can be sure I'll be cursing him too, mi hija," he muttered before slamming it behind him.

Elizabeth's dark sapphire eyes roamed around the space of the room as she lay in Jason's bed, awaiting his arrival home that evening. Sonny had told her that he was going to be late but it was well past midnight and she was starting to worry. She wouldn't call however because she knew that this was part of the job, part of being in the mob, you took what was available to you and dealt with the rest. Fortunately for her, Lily's birth of the baby helped bridge a gap in her and Jason's relationship and she had kissed him for the first time in months.

She had nearly forgotten what his lips tasted like. They were still warm and moist and when they touched hers, she felt that same electric shock go through her as she did the first time their mouths met. They were still unsure around one another, due to her being underage, but there were times when surprise kisses were planted and hugs lingered a little bit longer. She missed him, his heartbeat against her ear at night, his warm breath mingling in her hair, the way his hand caressed her naked side when she curled up against him and she knew that she still had three months to go before they could finally be together again. She was happy with what she had. It was the contentment that she felt with Jason that made her come up to his room, curl up in his bed and wait for him to arrive home. She needed to be near him and she knew that he would have no problem joining her and wrapping her up in the safe place she always counted on.

Her mind had been nearly numb since this afternoon's conversation with Sonny. She had taken for granted the peace that was offered her in the surroundings she found in Port Charles. She had forgotten what life in the organization was really like. People were always moving in to take over someone else's territory, you always had to be one step ahead and if for some reason you should fall behind, death was usually the penalty.

Elizabeth had been through a lot with Sly and there was a time in her life when she herself wanted to shoot him, but over the last few months their friendship had grown beyond what it was before. She had seen him develop into a young man who finally had a foundation in life and to see that stripped away because of the connections he had was breaking her heart. The cards had dealt both Sly and Elizabeth a bad deck and she felt they both deserved a second chance. She had received hers; she now wanted Sly to have his.

She looked over when she heard a creak in the bedroom door and there stood Jason, his shadowy image outlined by the hallway light. He hadn't had the chance to remove his leather jacket, just came upstairs and made his way to her, moving across the carpeted floor in two quick steps and wrapping her in his arms.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get home earlier," he said quietly, "Sonny told me that he spoke to you but things needed to be done," he pulled back and looked at her, "Are you alright, Elizabeth? I really wanted to be here but I just couldn't…"

"Saving Sly is more important," Elizabeth said as she settled on the bed on her knees while Jason sat down next to her, "Is there some way to get him out of the country until we can figure this out? I know there's an island. I know that's where Lily went before." She watched him shake his head, "He won't go. The bastard is going to stay here and fight."

"Isn't that what you did?" Jason asked, "You turned yourself over to Alcazar to make sure I wasn't killed. Eckert isn't going to run away from this. I wouldn't either, neither would you," he sighed as he leaned forward and ran his hand up and down her back, "You're afraid."

"And usually I'm not," Elizabeth said as she moved closer to him, "For those three years that I was with Louis I didn't give a damn about my life. I could've cared less if something happened to me or Alcazar or anyone else around us. I was just so numb…but then you walked into my life and now I can feel again," she laughed softly, "And I'm being a worry wart."

"It's normal, Elizabeth," Jason said as his fingers slid into her hair, "I just hope that one day you'll worry about me this much."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "I can't believe that after all this time you're…" her sentence was cut off when he pushed her head forward and leaned in for a kiss, "Mmm."

"I'm not," he said quietly as he brought her hand up to his mouth and placed a kiss on the back of it, "I've always done this. I mean, I moved some boxes around, did some train surfing, parked some cars but this is the life I know, the only life I've known since my accident," he cleared his throat and forced his blue eyes to meet her own, "But if you need something else, Elizabeth, if this is too much for you all you have to do is…"

"I'm not going anywhere," she said cutting him off, "And I'm allowed to get afraid. That's why you're here, to talk me down, it's why I keep you around," she smiled, "I'm not like those other women Morgan. I know what you do for a living, I've seen it, and I'm still proud to be the woman that you love."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Why you keep me around?"

Elizabeth laughed softly as she hooked one arm around his shoulder, "You've talked me down already. I know that Sly is going to be safe, that plans are being made, that you boys are going to make sure us girls are protected," she laughed again when she felt herself being lowered to the bed and watched him stand up to remove his leather jacket, "And I promise dinner on the table when you get home."

"You're going to cook it?" he asked again as he pulled his boots off.

She snorted, "I would have just gotten you home safely. I'm not going to kill you with my food. Kelly's take out it is."

Jason sat back down on the bed and pulled her in for another kiss, "I like the idea of coming home to you, even if it means burnt food on the table."

Elizabeth smiled up at him as he settled down next to her in bed and pulled her into his arms, "I like that idea too, Jason."


	41. Chapter 41

Jason was careful not to scrape his motorcycle boots along the gravel that lay on top of the roof of the Morgan-Corinthos warehouse. It was Labor Day weekend and instead of taking Elizabeth to see the fireworks in the park he was crouched down in a corner looking for any signs of a man entering the building he was guarding. He was also paired up with Sly Eckert.

The investigation as to who was after Sly had been an easy one. It was a middle man in the Boston organization looking to make his way up in the mafia world. He thought that by going after the Port Charles syndicate he could do that, apparently he hadn't done his homework. He researched Eckert and all the information the enforcer in training had, but the man slipped up when it came to Sonny Corinthos' right hand man. He didn't bother looking into Jason Morgan at all.

Sonny had set up a meeting so that he could introduce himself to the person that wished to be the next head of the Boston Mafia. He had arranged it so that Johnny was his guard and while Sonny didn't expect anything to go down he wanted to have Sly and Jason on guard as well. Jason was always happy to watch Sonny's back after everything the man had done for him, but he was sore about the fact that he had to baby-sit Eckert and make sure the kid didn't get into any trouble. He also had to make sure that no one realized he was the one that held the key to the east coast organizations.

Looking away from the dark street and over his shoulder Jason saw Sly on alert, his eyes taking in everything in the area that surrounded him. He hated to admit it but the kid was learning things, absorbing them like a sponge and making conscious decisions lately that didn't get any of them shot at. He was also keeping his distance from Elizabeth and that made Jason curious. Not that he minded it, the less time he spent with Elizabeth, the better but Sly was making excuses and spending more time in his small room at Kelly's. Jason was beginning to think he had a girlfriend on the side that he didn't want anyone to know about.

Standing up and stretching his sore muscles, Jason looked down at his watch and noticed the meeting was set to start in another fifteen minutes. They expected two men to arrive: the man causing all the trouble and the guard that he was going to bring with him. If anyone else were to show up or follow, that was where Jason and Sly would step in. Normally Jason would be able to handle the situation on his own but Sonny insisted that Sly partake in it so he could learn more about the eastern organizations. Jason also knew that he was trying to mend fences between the bickering men for the sake of his adoptive daughter. Smirking Jason realized that hell was more likely to freeze over before he became friends with Eckert.

He looked down when a stone kicked his foot and then back up to see Sly approaching him, "Anything wrong?"

Sly shook his head, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to take one more walk around the parameter of the roof before the meeting begins. I have a good view but," he shrugged his shoulders, "You can never be too careful right?"

Right, Jason knew that, he hated that Sly knew it too but he had to give the kid credit. He was turning out to be a better employee than Jason thought he would ever be. Ever since he realized there was a hit on his life he calmed down, listened more and kept that quick temper in check.

"It's a good idea," Jason nodded, "Keep your eyes and ears open and make sure that you're back in position when the meeting time starts. I don't want anyone in danger because one of us wasn't paying attention."

Sly nodded and watched as Jason resumed his previous position. He knew that comment was directed at him but he chose to ignore it. Jason was the person he worked with but Sonny was the person that he worked for and lately the don was giving him compliments on the progress he had made. Sonny told him he could see Sly maturing in his eyes and he was glad that it was happening. Sly knew that he had Sonny to thank for that, as well as a few other people.

He started his walk around the rooftop and turned slightly to make sure that Jason's attention was diverted. He slid his phone off of his belt loop and pressed a button, holding it tightly towards his mouth and lowering his voice significantly.

"He's still in one piece," he said with a small smile on his face, "And I am too."

Elizabeth looked away from the windows in Sonny's penthouse when she heard the familiar chirp of the Nextel phone. Emily stood a few feet from her, a phone pressed against her ear and a small sigh slipping from her lips. Jason's sister had been doing that for the past few hours, every since the men had left home to make sure everything was prepared at the warehouse. Sonny assured Lily that once everything was clear he would call her. Jason told Elizabeth that he'd be home as soon as he could. Johnny met up with them on the docks because Lu insisted on staying home by herself. Emily was getting chirped, every half hour on the dot, but due to the privacy button Elizabeth couldn't hear what about or by whom. She had a gut feeling though and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

She watched her place the phone down on the table and run her fingers through her hair before wrapping her arms around her waist and making her way towards the windows where Elizabeth stood. Lily was upstairs, tucking her children in for the night and reading them stories. Morgan and Adella were sharing a room for the night, pretending that it was a sleep over, while baby Elisa, Jason and Elizabeth's goddaughter, was sleeping soundly in her new nursery. Elizabeth was left downstairs, watching Emily grow pale by the hour, while her own nerves grew taunt as she tried to remind herself that she had been through this before and she was going to go threw it again.

"Are you in love with him?"

Elizabeth was startled out of her musings and turned towards Emily with wide eyes. She wasn't sure Emily was aware of the relationship that Elizabeth had with her brother. They kept their close contact for behind the penthouse doors but Elizabeth knew that there were times when they were out when the longing couldn't be replaced in either one of their eyes. She had opened her mouth to respond to Jason's sister when Elizabeth saw the question in Emily's brown eyes and she realized that Emily wasn't talking about Jason at all.

She smiled softly, "I'm not in love with him."

"Were you? I mean, does he know that?" Emily asked quietly, "Because he's still in love with you and I think maybe if he knew that you didn't return those feeling's he'd be able to…"

Elizabeth reached out and pressed her hand over Emily's arms, "Sly's not in love with me. I can assure you of that."

"I see the way he looks at you," Emily said, "Those looks aren't those that are reserved for friends. I know…" she cleared her throat, "I know there's something there and…it's not that I'm interested in him, I just, I'm looking out for him, as a friend, I care about him."

"I care about him too," Elizabeth said, "As a friend. Sly and I use to go out; we use to date, when I first started high school back in California. I'm not sure if he told you about that."

"He didn't tell me about his time before Port Charles," Emily said, "I asked him once but he didn't want to talk about it and I didn't want to push. I know what it's like to loose both of your parents and I didn't want to open up any wounds that had begun to heal."

"You are a good friend," Elizabeth said firmly, "And I'm grateful that Sly finally has someone that cares about him as deeply as you do. At one point in my life I thought I was in love with Sly but I think it was puppy love. I was so young when I met him I don't think it could be considered anything but that. I have, however, grown to love him more and more each day. We have this connection, we can't deny that, but it's just a friendly connection. I think he's my soul mate," she shook her head when she heard Emily gasp, "Let me finish. I also think that Jason's my soul mate. I think that people are destined to have more than one soul mate. Sly is my friend soul mate. He understands me when Jason doesn't or absolutely refuses to," she smiled when Emily laughed softly, "We've been through so much together that there's always going to be that connection between us, but I can assure you that it will never affect any future relationship that Sly has with a woman."

Elizabeth smiled again at Emily, "Sly thought a few months ago that he was in love with me but if you ask him now I'm sure that the answer he gives you will be the same one that I have. Sly and I love each other, we always will, but we will never be more than friends. We both know that."

"Because of Jason."

"No it's not…"

"You and Sly have a connection," Emily grinned, "You and Jason set the room on fire."

Elizabeth laughed softly as she tucked a curl behind her ear, "We certainly don't mean to but…" she rolled her eyes, "You're Jason's sister, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm in love with him and if I have anything to say about it he's going to be spending the rest of his life with me."

"Whether he likes it or not?" Emily asked laughing.

"Pretty much," Elizabeth agreed with her own laugh before reaching out and taking Emily's hand, "You don't have to worry about me and Sly but I think there's something that you do need to worry about. If you chose to pursue a relationship with him, you need to know that he and Jason don't…"

"That's obvious," Emily said, "And I'm pretty sure I know the reason why Jason doesn't like Sly but I'm not going to get into that conversation with my brother. I'm not saying that I'm going to pursue anything with Sly. I was just curious as to where you stand with him," Emily rolled her eyes at Elizabeth's raised eyebrow, "Okay, I'd love to pursue a relationship with Sly but I have no idea how he feels about me and I don't want to rock the boat. For the first time in my life I have someone who understands everything that I've been through. When my mother's birthday comes around or the anniversary of her death, I'm not going to have to talk about how I feel or why I'm moody that day, all I'm going to have to do is call up Sly and ask him to take me out for a ride in that fancy car of his."

"Great car isn't it?" Elizabeth grinned.

"Oh yeah," Emily smiled, "I don't want to ruin that with something he might not be ready for."

Elizabeth looked at the phone that now lay silent on the table and then back at Emily. "I think you might be surprised as to what Sly has to say about that."

"Girl talk?" Lily smiled as she came down the stairs, "With all these kids I don't have time for that anymore," she sighed, "And the rest of the town is afraid to say anything to me because of the fear that my husband will put a hit on them."

Elizabeth laughed as she moved away from the windows, "Are the kids asleep?"

Lily nodded, "I checked on Elisa last. She started to fuss and I was afraid she was going to wake up again but thankfully she just sighed and went right back to sleep. Sonny says that at times she just as difficult as her namesake," Lily laughed when Elizabeth gasped, "But we adore the both of you just the same. So," she said settling down on the couch, "Were we discussing the boys?"

"Talking about them has made me worry even more," Emily said as she sat down in a chair, "It's different now. I never knew when Jason was going out or what he was doing, but now that I've been spending more time with you and Elizabeth I feel like I've become part of the family that he's always telling me about," she smiled sadly, "Lu is an incredibly strong woman because I could not imagine sitting at home going through this all alone."

Lily nodded as Elizabeth sat on the corner of the couch, "I've gone through this numerous times with my father and my husband and it still doesn't get any easier. You find it nearly impossible to breathe until they walk back through that door."

"It's different for me now," Elizabeth said quietly, "I use to wish that my husband didn't walk back through that door. Now, it's so much harder…"

"Your husband?" Emily asked.

Lily reached over and squeezed Elizabeth's hand, "That's a long story and I'm not sure if…"

"It's alright," Elizabeth smiled as she slid from the arm of the couch to a small cushion, "I have a very sordid and unbelievable past. I was sold into the mob life at the age of fourteen by my father. I became a stripper by the age of fourteen and a half. I was married at the age of sixteen and I was a widow less than a week after my seventeenth birthday."

Emily looked at her horrified and shook her head, "Thanks to Jason."

"No," Elizabeth said as her sapphire eyes met Emily's chocolate ones, "Jason…and Sly."

"Only a few people know about Elizabeth's past," Lily said, "It's easier for people to believe that she was a long lost relative of Sonny's whom we chose to adopt. We've been lucky that no one has yet to recognize her from the club."

Emily shook her head confused, "The club?"

Elizabeth laughed softly, "That's how Jason and I met. I blew into town one night and asked for a job as a stripper at the new club titled _Lily's_."

"_Lily's_ use to be a strip club?" Emily asked more puzzled, "What the hell did I miss while I was in Europe?"

Elizabeth laughed as she stood up, "I think this conversation calls for some hot chocolate. I'm going to make some and then I'll let you in on the story that I will one day turn into a trashy novel that will sell millions of copies." She stopped when the door opened to the penthouse and all heads turned towards it.

"It's just me," Lu sighed and nodded towards the bodyguard, "Thanks Adam. And I've been doing that all night," she said pointing to the three women in the room with her, "Every time I heard a noise or footsteps I jumped up and ran to the door or the window, hoping that it was Johnny. Do you know how many people are at Kelly's right now? I haven't sat down all night."

"That'll be four cups of hot chocolate," Elizabeth smiled, "Have a seat Lu. Lily's going to help me tell my life story."

"It's very interesting," Emily nodded as Lu settled down in the chair across the room from her.

"Anything to get my mind off of tonight's mess," Lu sighed as she plopped down.

Elizabeth turned away from the scene just as Lily reached over and gave Lu a comforting hug. She never had the opportunity to worry about Sly because he had become an enforcer after she left Luis. She was use to this life, however, and she knew that when someone you loved walked out the door that night it didn't necessarily mean they came back home. She was doing her best to keep the familiar stone façade on her face but her insides were trembling. She didn't know how she was going to deal with this for the rest of her life, but she would because she loved Jason and neither of them knew any other way to live.

She made her way towards the long cabinet where Sonny kept the box of hot chocolate. Of course, when she first insisted on having hot chocolate in the house the master chef went out and bought real chocolate that was to be melted in a pot and then mixed with milk to make it authentic. She had to fight with him for the Swiss Miss with double marshmallows which he insisted weren't real.

Elizabeth reached for the box and pulled it out. Tonight was painful, with the worry and the fear, but she wouldn't trade this for anything else in the world. She loved living with Lily and Sonny, she enjoyed her growing friendships with Lu and Emily, she was grateful that Sly was still around and she wouldn't trade a minute of her life with Jason Morgan for anything else in his world. She would do it all again, including her life with Alcazar, if it brought her right back here. 

Placing the box on the counter Elizabeth reached up for the mugs and was startled when she felt a sharp pain shoot through the left side of her body. She felt herself gasp for a breath and grip the edge of the counter top. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it went away and Elizabeth felt her brows furrow. She had no idea what that was but she did realize that her hands started to shake and as she looked down at them her eyes caught her watch. It had been fifty one minutes since the last time Emily's Nextel chirped.

Telling herself to remain calm, Elizabeth walked back into the living room with a smile on her face, "Lily, we're out of hot chocolate. I'm going to run over to Jason's apartment and get some more. He's always stocked up."

"Can't imagine why," Lily laughed softly, "I'll have to remember to put it on the list for this week."

"I'll be right back," Elizabeth said as she opened the door and nodded to Adam, the new guard who had to step up because Sonny took the seasoned ones with him tonight.

She made her way over to Jason's penthouse and locked the door behind her, taking a deep breath once she reached inside. She walked over to Jason's desk and pulled open the drawers until she found it, the silver box. Yanking it out and placing it on top of the desk she reached in her hair and pulled out a bobby pin, fiddling with the lock until it came open beneath her fingertips. She opened it and reached inside, pulling out the foam where he placed his silver Glock which he had on him tonight. Beneath the foam rested another gun, a nine millimeter that he kept as a spare.

Elizabeth picked the gun up in her hand and admired it, her finger easily curling around the trigger. He was going to kill her the moment she showed up at the warehouse but she had no other choice. She could no longer imagine her life without him.

Tucking the gun in the waistband of her pants, Elizabeth's hand reached for the doorknob and she took another deep breath. She had to make sure that she was quiet enough to reach the emergency exit that was on Jason's side. Adam could not see her or else he would alert Lily who would indeed stop her, no matter what her gut feelings were telling her about Jason needing her.

"Hang on," she whispered as she quietly pulled open the door, "I'm on my way, Morgan."

Sly panted as he ran around the corner of the alleyway with Jason close on his heels. The meeting had gone bad with Sonny and Johnny left holed up in the warehouse. There were more than two people that showed up and they showed up heavily armed. Jason and Sly decided that they had to provide the distraction to lure the men away from the meeting place. If Sonny and Johnny were left trapped inside they were like sitting ducks and that couldn't happen. Jason and Sly decided to make enough noise, make sure they were known members of the Corinthos' organization and then the chase was on.

Jason was keeping his eyes peeled for a place where he and Sly could find cover so they could start shooting at the bastards after them. Normally he wasn't a man who ran and he was sure that Sly wasn't either, but the warehouse was too close to Kelly's. The diner inhabitants would most likely call the police at the first sound of gun fire and they didn't need that at a time like this. It took one look between him and Sly to realize that they had to think on their feet. They were getting closer, Jason could hear their fancy shoes clicking against the pavement behind him. They had to find someplace soon or else bullets would start flying.

When he felt one whiz past his head he knew it was too late.

"Eckert!"

Sly turned around with gun in hand and started firing blindly at the shadows behind Jason. He heard someone cry out and he knew that one of his bullets had met a mark. He slowed his steps to round a narrow corner and found a dumpster where he quickly stepped behind, followed by Jason.

"How many are there?"

"Four," Jason said, "Three now, good shooting."

Jason pulled out his gun and disengaged the safety. He looked around the dumpster and saw the men appearing in the front of the alley. He shot a few rounds before he disappeared again behind the dumpster and saw Sly readying his gun.

"I'm not sure if I hit any of them," Jason said.

Sly poked his head out quickly and ducked back behind the dumpster when a bullet flew past him, "There's only two now so I'm saying that your shot is as good as mine."

Sly stepped out from behind the dumpster and fired off some more shots, aiming them at the arms and legs that were poking out from behind the wall that led into the alley. The men that were following them were smart enough to take cover and Sly quickly finished his first clip. He reached into his back pocket for his other one.

"Be careful!" Jason shouted as he stepped out beside Sly and started firing again.

Sly dropped his one clip and started to move back towards the cover of the dumpster when he heard another cry and looked up to see one more man fall to the ground then he saw stars. 

Jason slightly turned when he heard the body crumple beside him. Sly had been hit. He ducked quickly behind the dumpster and pulled Sly's body out of the way. The bullet had skimmed along the younger man's skull and there was a generous amount of blood loss that didn't look good. He pulled him up and shook him.

"Eckert, can you hear me?" Jason watched as Sly's eyes fluttered but struggled to open, "God damn't Sly, wake up."

Sly groaned and reached up to touch the liquid that was running down the side of his face. He muttered a curse when he brought his hand up to his face and saw that there was blood, plenty of it, pouring from the left side of his face.

"Sorry about that, Morgan," Sly said, "I'll get a better shot next time."

Jason heard another bullet hit the dumpster, "Can you make it back to the penthouse? My penthouse, the girls will freak out if they see you like this."

"I'm not leaving you," Sly said, "I don't abandon men."

"You aren't abandoning me," Jason growled, "You're saving your own life and mine as well. Elizabeth will kill me when she finds out you are injured."

"I'll deal with Lizzie…ah," Sly cried out when his head fell back against the dumpster.

"I'll cover you," Jason said as he stood up and hoisted Sly to his feet, "Get out of here."

"Morgan…"

"Go!" Jason shouted as he stood out from the cover in the dumpster again and started shooting. He heard Sly start to scatter away from him, groaning, but he kept his eye focused on the man in front of him. He was taking cover by the wall in front of the alley, two bodies lay near him. Jason knew that he was taking him out, he just had to wait for the man to make a mistake.

Instead, Jason made one.

He turned when he heard another cry from behind him. He thought that it was Sly only to realize that it was a television set echoing from an open window. When Jason turned back the man he was shooting at was in front of him, a smirk on his face and the bastard's gun aimed between Jason's eyes.

"You just got me a promotion," the man laughed, "I now have bragging rights for being the man that took down Jason's Morgan," he took one more step towards Jason, "And I might even hang your head on my wall."

Jason watched his finger start to squeeze the trigger and his eyes stay focused on the gun. He hated that he was not going to be able to spend the rest of his life with Elizabeth and he was glad that he told her that he loved her when he walked out this evening. He knew that Sonny and Sly would take care of her and he also knew that he was going to die like a man. He didn't even blink when he heard the loud pop of the gun. He also didn't feel any pain.

Jason watched as the man crumpled to the ground at his feet, a bullet wound in the back of his head and a pool of blood quickly forming around his body. He bent down to check his pulse and make sure that the man was dead and then he looked up when he heard the click of heels approaching him.

Elizabeth was coming towards him with a smoking gun in her hand.

"Elizabeth, what the hell…"

"Are you alright?" she asked, "Are Johnny and Sonny alright? I went to the warehouse but when I saw you and Sly being chased I followed you two. I wasn't able to check on them."

He blinked as he stared at her. She wasn't shaking. She wasn't upset. This woman's eyes resembled his own, there was no fear but there was worry for the people that she loved. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm going to kill you for this later," he said quietly as he kissed her temple, "But right now I'm going to thank you for saving my life," he smiled as he stepped back and took the gun from her hand, "You have a habit of doing that."

"I'm only returning the favor," she said as she took the gun back and put the safety back on before stuffing it back in her pants, "After all you've saved mine."

Jason reached down and collected the weapons of the men who lay scattered in the alleyway around them. Elizabeth followed him out of the dark path and smiled slightly when he slid his hand through hers, tugging her back towards and open street where they would be seen with the general public and making their way back towards the warehouse.

"And besides," she said matching his step, "I have no plans of living my life without you."

Jason looked down at her, the woman who loved him more than he ever thought possible. He knew that he would never find another who would pick up a gun for him, step in front of a bullet for him, or kill for him. Elizabeth was truly one in a million and he had no plans of living his life without her either.

Emily was pacing in the middle of her brother's penthouse suite. They had realized a short time ago that Elizabeth had disappeared, a gun box found empty on Jason's desk and Adam having no clue of her whereabouts. Then the phone call came, Sonny telling Lily that something went wrong and Sly and Jason were missing. He was sure they were okay but he had lost all contact with them. That was when Emily had lost it.

She was unable to stay there and watch Lu receive reassurance from her boyfriend that he was okay, not when Sly and Jason were still out there, possibly fighting for their lives. She made a beeline for the door and then hid in Jason's penthouse, needing sometime to think and breath. She started to wonder what her life would be like with those two men missing from it and she also started to wonder when she started to fall for Sly Eckert.

Emily plopped down on Jason's coffee table with her head in her hands as she felt the tears start to come. She hated being weak and she hated crying but her emotions wouldn't let her do anything else. She jumped up startled when she heard the front door rattle and suddenly someone stumbled in. She gasped loudly and put her hand to her mouth when she saw the blood that was dripping from Sly's head to Jason's floor.

"Em?" Sly asked as he closed the door, "Em what are you doing here?" He saw her face and then he reached up to touch the wound that was still bleeding, "Emmy, I'm okay. You have to know that I couldn't go to the hospital."

Emily could barely breathe and she felt the need to be sick as she got a good look at him. He was breathing heavily and the whole left side of his head was matted with blood that poured down the side of his face and onto his clothes. She knew from her parents' positions as doctors at the hospital that head wounds, even the less serious ones, bled a lot. She kept repeating that to herself over and over as she watched him walk closer to her.

"I'm fine," Sly said, "We're all fine. We had to leave the warehouse. I'm sure that Jason is on his way there right now to meet up with Sonny and Johnny. They'll be back here and you can see for yourself that Jason is alright," she still stood there saying nothing and he was becoming worried, "Emmy."

Emily felt the tears continue to flow as she realized that she was more worried about the man in front of her than she was about her brother. She was terrified that she would never see Sly at Kelly's again, that he would never flirt with her or tease her again, that he would never insist she finish that muffin because she needed to put some weight on her or tell her that she was too fancy to be hanging around the likes of him. She was scared that she would never get a chance to tell this man how she really felt.

"Emmy…" he said softly.

Emily blinked and looked at him, really looked at the man with the dirty blond hair and blue eyes. She then smiled and closed the distance between them, reaching for him and pressing her warm lips to his.


	42. Chapter 42

Jason slowed his steps as he approached the door that would lead him into Elizabeth's new office at Lily's club. The second floor was still receiving renovations during the club opening. Elizabeth had wanted her office moved upstairs along with the shower area. The bedrooms that previously housed the exotic dancers were converted into one large sleeping area in case Elizabeth decided to have fun one night and didn't want to make the trek home. Jason figured he'd start putting that area to good use in exactly one month.

While the leaves were changing and the sun decided that the days were getting shorter, Jason's watch was on another time schedule. The days seemed to be getting longer, the weeks dragging on as they inched closer and closer to Elizabeth's eighteenth birthday. The plans were already set; she was closing down the club and was going to have a party for herself and her close friends: the Corinthos', Sly, Emily and the newly married O'Briens. He was also invited but he didn't plan on staying long, just until the clock struck midnight and he was able to carry her out of the club and back to his penthouse. Turning back towards the hall where another door led to the large bedroom, Jason realized he might as well forget his penthouse and just walk up the flight of stairs.

The fact that they had started allowing heavy make out sessions was making the situation much more difficult. For months Jason avoided spending time alone with her and then he practically opened the flood gates. Kisses were okayed behind the penthouse door but the two of them quickly realized that one kiss was never enough. He drew the boundaries of removing clothing but Elizabeth fought him on that and since she insisted on removing his shirt, hers had to come off as well. So far their pants had always managed to stay on although he wasn't sure how long that would last in the next month.

Shaking all sorts of dirty thoughts from his mind, Jason knocked on the door and twisted the knob when he heard Elizabeth welcome him in. He first noticed the dark burgundy walls that matched well with the cherry wood furnishings she picked out. She had a leather couch, two matching chairs and a nice coffee table in the middle. He moved along to the desk she was sitting behind and then he noticed it, her attire, a pin stripe business suit. Her hair was twisted up in one of those clips and she was scribbling at something in front of her. When she looked up at him and smiled Jason felt the need to grip one of those new chairs.

"You can sit down," she smiled softly.

He was barely able to swallow as he closed his eyes and prayed to God that she was wearing a pant suit. He would be perfectly fine if she was in a pair of long suitable pants. He had hoped that his prayers were about to be answered when she stood up from her chair and made her way around her desk, in a skirt suit, with black vinyl three inch heels.

God was always testing him.

"Are you okay?" she asked laughing as she approached him and leaned up to give him a welcoming kiss. She frowned when he moved away from her and placed the chair between them. "Jason? Is something wrong?"

"Is that my chair?" he asked his eyes darting towards the chair behind her desk, "The chair from downstairs, the chair from the office, that one that…"

She laughed again, the warm chuckle was accompanied with a sultry smile, "Yeah. I found myself unable to part with it," she turned towards him with a sparkle in her eye, "For sentimental reasons of course."

Of course, Jason thought, how many times had they fucked senseless in that thing.

"I was going to see if you wanted lunch," he said retreating, "But I think I lost my appetite. Just call me later when you're done," he looked at her again, "And changed."

"Wait," she said reaching out and grabbing him by the sleeve of his jacket, "I've been thinking about Kelly's chili all day and I have it on good authority, and when I say that I mean my father," she winked, "That Sly is out working and he won't be there, so," she reached over her desk, giving him a nice view of her ample backside and grabbed her clutch purse, "My treat."

Oh she was a treat alright, one that he wanted to slam against the wall and fuck until the pretty little frames fell down from their place. He was eager to check the foundation of this building but he kept reminding himself that he still had a month to do that, a ridiculously long month.

"I can't," he said clearing his throat and somehow managing to tear his eyes away from the black skirt that ride up her thighs just a little, "I'll pick it up on the way home, we can eat it while we watch a movie," he swallowed again when she got that angry look on her face, "One of Adella's Disney movies."

"Jason Morgan if you don't tell me what is…"

"Elizabeth if I don't leave this room within the next three seconds I'm not going to be liable for what's about to happen between us," Jason said, "It is one thing to ask if I wanted to meet for lunch, it is another to dress like that."

"Like what?" she asked looking down at herself. She then met his gaze again, grinning wickedly, "You mean like all those times you answer the door in your jeans and nothing else?"

"What? No," he said shaking his head.

Elizabeth tossed her clutch purse on one of the leather chairs, "You mean like those times you tell me to come on over only for me to find you in the shower and you come downstairs in nothing but a towel with little droplets of water falling from that spiky hair."

"Elizabeth…" he said as he circled the leather chair and found himself back up against the desk.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you Morgan?" she asked as she stopped mere inches from him, "Two can play at that game."

Elizabeth watched the glint that appeared in Jason's eye and then the smirk that kicked up at the corners of his mouth. She realized too late the man that she was playing games with. Jason was always ready to match her on any challenge that she had. She let out a little gasp as he grabbed her around the waist and reversed their positions, causing her body to be pressed up against the desk.

"Jason…" she said in that warning tone he heard so many times over the last eleven months.

"I'll be good, Elizabeth," he said quietly as slid his fingers through her hair until he found the clip. He pulled it out, letting it fall from his hand to the floor as he watched her curls dance along her shoulders. 

Her eyes darkened as she whispered, "Don't be."

Jason's hands encircled her waist as he lifted her up and dropped her on the edge of the desk. He could feel her nails scraping against the base of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair. She was tugging him closer and he was smiling as he kept moving forward and then back, teasing her, torturing her, until Elizabeth was practically growling.

"Jason if you don't…"

He did, pressing his lips to hers. He moaned as she hooked her leg over his hip and pulled him closer, arching her body against his as she started to slide off the desk. He held her tightly against him as his hands started to wander while his tongue found its way into her mouth.

Elizabeth pulled back panting before she went in for another heated kiss. Her fingers were pushing at his leather coat until it fell to the floor with a thud then she went to work on pulling his shirt out of his pants. She was dying to feel his skin against her own.

Jason slid the skirt higher up on her thighs and he groaned when his fingers came in contact with the lace material. He pulled back, gasping for breath and stared at her with passion filled eyes.

"Thigh highs, Elizabeth?" he groaned.

She smiled and laughed softly as she pushed him back slightly and pulled his tee shirt over his head, "And crotchless panties. You can thank Frederick's Of Hollywood."

Jason reached for her suit jacket and managed to rip it open, sending the large buttons flying, "I'll do that later. Right now…"

Elizabeth gasped as her suite coat was tugged down her arms and then thrown over her shoulder. His hands were against her silk camisole, pulling her closer to him as she felt herself enveloped in another heated kiss. His hands were moving into her hair as he was molding himself against her.

Jason moved his hands downward, cupping her ass and pulling the lower half of her body closer to him so she was tucked tightly against him. Her legs wrapped around his waist as his fingers danced their way back up her thigh while she pulled away from him and started to place damp kisses along his Adam's apple.

He cursed when she rubbed herself against him.

Elizabeth felt his hands on her backside again as he thrust his body against hers, rubbing that course denim between the ache in her thighs. She cried out and let her head fall back, her hands reaching down and gripping the edge of the desk as he continued his torment. His lips found her nipples, straining against the silk camisole and lavished them with his hot tongue. Her mind told her that they were taking things a little too far but her body was disobeying and continued moving in tune with his.

"Elizabeth," he moaned against her breast, "God Elizabeth…"

She wanted to tell him to stop as one of her hands moved from the desk and slid into his hair. She wanted to tell him that they needed to wait, that thirty one days was not that far away but when she opened her mouth his name came tumbling out. Her body was weeping for him and she knew that he could feel her heat soaking through his jeans. It was shameless, she felt wanton and her body felt truly alive for the first time in eleven months.

She wouldn't stop this man even if the building was on fire although they might be the ones causing the flames.

Jason heard the desk start to scrap against the hardwood floor as Elizabeth's body started to move off of it and thrust against his own. He kept a firm hold on her hips as he worked his way up her neck, along the side of her jaw line before he kissed her again, deep, passionately, until they both felt as if their lungs would start to burst. He wanted to reach between their bodies; he wanted to release his straining erection. He was tired of fighting a losing battle and he knew that Elizabeth was tired of fighting it too. He started to move his hand when he heard her cry out, felt her body start to shudder, felt her heat seeping through.

"Jason…" she moaned as her nails scrapped against the desk, as her body shuddered, "Jason!"

Jason groaned as his head hit something hard and when he opened his eyes he found himself staring at a pair of black sneakers that were partially hidden by a pair of blue jeans. Raising his head from the floor he blinked and saw a smiling Elizabeth who was swimming in a PCU sweatshirt.

"Honey, I know you're head over heels for me but you didn't have to literally show me," she laughed before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek, "I'm ready for lunch and I'm dying for a cup of chili so let's head over to Kelly's. Sly's working so he won't be there to bother you."

Jason watched her stand up and he himself sat up, getting a good look at his surroundings. He was in the entrance way of her new office. It was the same way as he pictured it, the burgundy walls, the dark furniture, the leather couches and chairs, including the one from the downstairs office. He then saw Elizabeth, not in the business suit, standing by the door that he must have fallen through.

He shook his head and laughed as he climbed to his feet and walked past her, "Only thirty one more days, Miss Webber."

She grinned as she smacked his backside, "I can't wait either, Morgan."

Sly ran his hands through his hair before he pulled open the door to Kelly's diner. It was after the normal dinner rush on a Friday night in late October. He knew the chances of running into any of his family members or friends were slim and he would be able to get upstairs unnoticed with the six pack that he had in his hand. One of the many perks of being involved with the mafia was underage drinking.

He nodded to one of the waitresses and started up the stairs, rolling his head from side to side as he tried to relive some of the tension from between his shoulders. He had been pulling double shifts, working the streets even when he wasn't paid and offered to cover Johnny's hours while he was away on his honeymoon with Sly's cousin Lu. He had told Sonny that he thought Jason needed a break from the shadow he was becoming and therefore Sonny had put him on less dangerous shifts but allowed him to work more on his own. This also allowed Sly to avoid everyone in his life. For the past few weeks he had successfully dodged Lu and Elizabeth, he was barely on speaking terms with Jason and Sonny called him every day just to get reports. He had also been able to avoid Emily for a good month and a half.

Sly sighed as he turned down the hall and made his way towards his room. He couldn't get Jason's sister out of his mind and he knew that wasn't a good thing. Jason had no idea what had taken place that night that all hell broke loose in Port Charles. He walked in on Sly and Emily but the turning of the door knob gave the two enough room to jump apart. He gave Jason an update on his condition, let the doctor come and bandage his head up and then he looked at Emily and the blood that had dripped from his body onto her designer clothes. He couldn't explain the horror that coursed through his body when he realized that he had tainted her. He left with a gruff goodbye and hadn't seen her since.

The prospect of being with Emily was always tempting. She was gorgeous, clearly not the little girl he left in Port Charles all those years ago and it made sense that she did some modeling while she was in Europe with Lu. The attraction was there and it was hard to resist but it was something he was going to have to do. He and Jason were slowly learning to respect one another and he couldn't loose that, not for a roll in the hay with Morgan's sister, with one of his best friend's. That was what Sly Eckert was about, fast cars, loaded weapons and lots of women. He had been that way as a teenager, ever since he met Louis Alcazar and he wasn't about to change. Hell, he couldn't.

Sly slid the key out of his pocket and unlocked his bedroom door. He walked in, closing in behind him and took the few steps towards his bed, placing his beer down and tossing his keys to the night table. He then kicked his boots off and withdrew his gun from the back of his pants before turning towards his side and aiming it at the person who was sitting in the chair by his door. The tension came rushing back as he lowered the gun to his side.

"For a man who works for the mob, you sure do leave your window unlocked a lot."

He did that out of habit. He always used to leave it unlocked for her to climb through it. He knew though he should have started locking it but a part of him didn't want to. A part of him still wanted to look over from where he lay shirtless on the bed and see Emily Quartermaine climbing through after a rough day of college classes. As much as he wanted to, Sly couldn't do it anymore.

"I'll look into new locks," he said as he walked over to the window and slammed it shut, "I don't think it's a good idea that you're here. I'm sure Jason or Lizzie, one of them will be here shortly to pick up take out, what they usually get. They shouldn't see you here."

Sly kept his distance, and his eyes, from her. He couldn't look into those chocolate orbs that seemed so desperate and sad. He heard her sigh as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her waist which was covered in just a plain cream shirt. She was also wearing brown velvet jeans and he had to admit that she filled them out incredibly.

"Do you want me to apologize?"

"For what?"

"For driving this wedge between us," she asked, "I shouldn't have crossed the line, Sly. I just assumed that you wanted it."

He snorted, "You know what they say about assuming."

"Yeah," Emily said as she tried to keep her voice steady, "It makes an ass out of you and me and I guess that's what I did. Instead of telling me that though you ran with your tail between your legs. You couldn't get out of my brother's penthouse fast enough."

"I was shot in the head," Sly said as he turned to her, his eyes blazing, "Pardon me for wanting to lie down."

"This is me Sly, me," Emily said, "I'm the one who went and helped you pick ants for your ant farms. I'm the one who rolled around in the mud with you. I'm the one who always chose you over Lucky Spencer whenever there was a fight and I was the one who was there…and you were the one who always knew what it was like…I thought there was something here."

"We're friends, Em." Sly said, "I draw the line there."

She laughed as she threw her arms up in the air, "All because of my brother, Jason Morgan. Here I thought you were big bad Sly Eckert, not afraid of anyone or anything."

"Don't talk to me about being afraid of your brother, Em," Sly said, "You couldn't get the window open fast enough when he was headed up here that one time. You never had any intention of telling him how close we were."

"What the hell was the point?" Emily asked, "I would have if I thought for one second that we could have taken this somewhere but nope, you can't take a risk."

"Did you ever think that I'm just not interested?" he asked with raised eyebrows, "That maybe all I want is to be your friend. I don't want to be tied down to one woman, Emily. Not when there's a whole buffet out there waiting for me. I'm a hit man, baby, and I'm sexy as fuck to a lot of girls. They're lining up as we speak. It'd be stupid of me to settle down with just you."

Sly thought the most horrible incident he ever witnessed with a woman was when Lizzie had stood up in front of a judge and married Luis Alcazar. The look of utter defeat and shame on her face did not compare to the sadness and hatred that now appeared on Emily's. It was as if he was watching her heart be shattered, spilling onto his wooden floor where he would have to sweep up the tiny pieces. It was if he was thrusting a knife into her gut and slowly twisting it. He had to do it however, he just had to.

"Okay," she choked out as she brushed a tear away from her eye, "Okay Sly, you're not interested. I'm sorry that I threw myself at you. I'm sorry that I…I'm sorry that I began to care. And…" he hated how her lip trembled, "I hope you rot in this hell that you've created for yourself."

"I'll try to enjoy it," he said pulling his eyes away from hers to look out into the back alley of Kelly's, "Emmy."

Her hand was on the door knob and she managed to pull it open, managed to get one foot out the door before she turned back and stormed towards him. He looked back over as she approached, her suede cowboy boots clicking against his floor.

"I might not be a bastard like you Sly and I might not be as experienced as you," she said closing the distance between them, "But I sure as hell can tell when someone is returning a kiss, and you my dear sweet friend are just as interested as I am."

Sly was shocked when she took his face into her hands and pressed her lips against his. He had been with plenty of woman but none of them were the aggressor so he was taken aback when Emily made that move and he was quiet pleased.

She was holding on tight and she had no intention of letting go. When his hands settled on her hips to push her away she moved herself closer, wrapping her arms around his neck and sliding her tongue into his mouth. He groaned, then she purred beneath him and any resistance that he had was gone, right out the window that he finally closed.

Growling beneath her, he walked her back towards the bed and they tumbled onto it. Emily was on her back, Sly on top of her, settled between her legs as her hands pushed the jacket off of his body. He was pushing her shirt up her body until his hands came in contact with the pretty lace bra that she had on. She moaned beneath him when his thumb ran over the tiny bud that was begging to be released.

"Sly…" she moaned as she arched against him while his lips moved down her neck, "Sly…take me…now…Sly…"

"What the hell are you doing to my sister?"

Sly nearly blacked out when he felt his head being slammed against his wall. One minute he was on top of Emily, the next he felt something hard hit his gut as his six-pack fell from his bed and shattered to the floor while Emily and Elizabeth looked on in horror. He gasped for air when he felt Jason's elbow press against his window.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut your circulation off."

"Jason let him go," Emily said as she pulled her shirt down.

"Jason, stop," Elizabeth said as she walked towards her boyfriend and started to pull on his arm, "Jason…"

"Do it," Sly whispered as he met Jason's icy glare, "Apply the two pounds of pressure."

"Jason, stop it," Emily said as she started to pound at Jason with her fist, "Jason let him go. This is my fault. I was the one who was over here. Let Sly go."

Elizabeth watched as Jason stood there frozen with Sly held back against the wall while Emily cried for her beast of a brother to release him. She growled in frustration before she reached into Jason's pants and pulled out his gun, tapping him on the shoulder with the muzzle.

"Release him before I knock you unconscious with this thing," she raised her eyebrows when he turned his head slightly, "Go ahead, tempt me Morgan and I'll make sure they put onions on your damn sandwich."

Jason stepped back from Sly and watched as the younger man gasped for air. When Sly finally looked up his face connected with Jason's fist and he slumped over again, falling to his knees. Elizabeth shoved Jason as hard as her tiny body allowed her to.

"What the hell was that for?" she asked.

"Sly are you alright?" Emily asked kneeling in front of him.

"Go home, Emily." Jason growled, "Both of you. Eckert and I need to have a word together."

"I am not leaving him with you," Emily snapped at Jason before she turned back to Sly, "Sly…"

"Go Emily," Sly said as he stood up and moved away from her, "Do what your brother says."

"Sly, I am not…"

"Go!" Sly screamed.

Emily backed away and turned towards Jason and Elizabeth with tears in her eyes. She was unable to hold back a cry as she ran out of the room and down the stairs. Elizabeth had wanted to run after her friend but she knew that she wouldn't be able to leave Jason alone in the room with Sly. He was already advancing on the younger man who had put his sister in tears.

"That goes for the both of you," Sly said, "Get out of my room. You aren't welcome here."

"If you ever touch my sister again," Jason said raising his fist, "If you so much as look at her…"

"Get the fuck out of my place, Morgan." Sly said, "Threats and all."

"Let's go," Elizabeth said quietly as she stared at Sly in shock. She held Jason's gun out to him, "Our dinner is getting cold," when he didn't move she slipped her hand into his, "Jason."

Sly watched as Elizabeth and Jason slowly made their way towards the door. Jason was glaring at him the whole time and Elizabeth had the one look in his eyes that Sly hated more than anything else in this world; the look of pity. He kicked his door shut and then turned back around towards his empty room. The blanket was crumpled, the beer was spreading into a large puddle on the floor and the sweet smell of Emily's perfume still lingered in the room. He growled as he stepped over the mess of beer and walked towards his window and threw it open.

It had taken nearly twenty years but he was finally where he belonged, rotting in hell.

Elizabeth sat back on the couch drinking her soda as she watched Jason finish his sandwich from Kelly's. They had picked up their take out and headed home in silence. Not a word was said between them as they ate dinner and she wasn't sure if she should be the one to start the conversation. She didn't want her defending Sly to be another argument between them.

"I already know what you're going to say," he said taking a sip from his beer.

"I love you."

He couldn't help the smile that tugged as his lips, "Elizabeth."

"If that is the person that she wants to be with than I think you should let her be with him," she said quietly, "Suppose Sonny moved me into his home, made me a part of his family and then all of a sudden decided that you were too old to be hanging around me. What would you do?"

"I'd move you right back out."

Elizabeth smiled softly, "Then I think you should give Emily the same courtesy. I think she should be able to choose whomever she dates. From what I hear, no matter who she brings home, the Quartermaine's are going to have a problem with him. Don't you think that she should have someone on her side?"

Jason sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "But Sly? His reputation with woman…"

"Which includes me," Elizabeth said with a raised eyebrow.

"After you," Jason said, "I don't want my sister to be another notch on his bed post."

She shook her head, "Sly wouldn't do that to Emily."

"It looks like that's exactly where they were headed when we walked in on them Elizabeth," Jason said as he placed his beer bottle down on the coffee table and stood up, "It's bad enough that I have to work with the guy, seeing him in my personal life…"

"Which you already do," Elizabeth said, "Because he's my friend and now he's Johnny cousin."

Jason looked down at her, "He was earning my respect."

Elizabeth stood up with him, "And he shouldn't have to lose what he gained because you have a problem with him dating your sister. You have to trust me on this Jason. Sly isn't that bad of a guy. I know that he makes your skin crawl but it could be worse, Emily could be dating one of your real enemies."

"Sly is an enemy," Jason said, "Did you see the look on Emily's face when she ran out of that room tonight."

"Yeah and you helped putting it that by making Sly turn blue," she sighed when she heard the knock on Jason's. "Sonny's usual check up. I think you need to call your sister and apologize."

Jason rolled his eyes.

"I could make you call Sly and apologize," she smirked as she opened the door, "Hey Sonny we're…Sly."

It took Jason two steps to reach Elizabeth but he was halted when she held her arm out across the doorway so he couldn't walk into the hallway and after the man who had a quickly growing bruise on his right eye.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Sly said, "I just wanted to stop by and speak to Jason. I wanted to let you know something," he said meeting Jason's glare, "I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be seeing Emily. There is nothing between us and there never will be. You gave me a second chance when I didn't deserve one and this is no way to pay you back. So, I'm staying away from Emily."

He nodded to Elizabeth and Jason before he turned and headed for the elevator. He pressed the button and stood there waiting for a few seconds before the door opened before him and he stepped int.

"Sly." Jason called.

Sly poked his head out with one hand holding the doors open. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Sly nodded and then he disappeared.

Elizabeth closed the door and watched Jason make his way back over to his beer. "Well, at least he still has your respect right?" she asked before picking up the remnants of her dinner, "Excuse me."

Jason sighed as he collapsed back into his leather chair and took another pull from his bottle. Yeah, Sly still had Jason's respect but it was at the expense of Emily's heart.


	43. Chapter 43

Elizabeth turned around in the mirror once more as she adjusted the straps to her dress. It took a day long shopping trip with Lily, Emily and Lu to find it, along with a pair of matching lace up sling back heels, but Elizabeth finally found the outfit that she planned to wow Jason Morgan with.

It was subtle, yet sexy, something that Sonny would allow her out in the house in. It was a halter dress, with a cross over bust and empire waist. There were satin diagonal inserts that flowed from just under her bust and the dress hit slightly above her knees. The back had criss-cross straps as well as an oval cut out that dipped to just above her backside. She made sure to get it in a midnight blue, Jason's favorite color on her.

She sighed as she fluffed her hair once more and turned away from the mirror. Elizabeth couldn't understand why she was so nervous. She knew that tonight was the night that she and Jason had been waiting for, been dreaming and fantasizing about, for the past twelve months. She knew that it was special. She knew she would be chomping at the bit until the clock struck midnight but she didn't know why there were a thousand butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She didn't understand this queasy feeling. She had been with him numerous times before and tonight would be no different.

Elizabeth smiled softly as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Tonight was going to be different. Tonight was going to be the first time she had ever made love to Jason Morgan.

She knew she was in love with him when he stormed out of the penthouse all those months ago and left her curled up on the floor, wondering how she was going to piece her life back together. She knew she was crazy about him. She knew that she cared enough about him to let him go. She didn't know that what she felt then couldn't even begin to compare to what she was feeling now. She loved this man, she lived for this man, she would die for this man and she was going to spend the rest of her life with this man.

Laughing softly, Elizabeth fell back on her bed and made no attempt to hold back her giggles. She was no longer nervous. She couldn't wait until the cake was cut, until the well wishes were made, until he took her hand and led her out of the room, back to his penthouse, back to his bed. She was going to love him like she never had before. She was going to make sure that Jason would be well taken care of. Tonight, his satisfaction, his pleasure would come before hers.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Elizabeth shot up in bed; her face beat red as she saw her father standing in her doorway, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets. She bit her lip and looked away from him.

Sonny chuckled nervously, "Never mind. I'm pretty sure I know what you're thinking."

"Oh lord," she laughed as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hey, don't ruin your make up. Lily will have my head," he smiled at her when her eyes met his again, "You look absolutely beautiful, Elizabeth. I'm afraid I'm going to have to have another conversation with Jason tonight."

She groaned as she stood up, "I really wish that you wouldn't do that."

"I won't. I promise," he chuckled, his dimples showing. He then smiled sadly, "I just got you and I'm losing you already. I couldn't be more proud of you Elizabeth had I been there when you were born. Over this past year you have turned into such an amazing young woman. You are an inspiration to both of my daughters."

"You know what's funny?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around her waist and walked towards Sonny, "When I left Chicago I didn't think I had any more growing up to do. I mean, I was on my own, I was making my own money and I was making sure that I was always one step ahead of Louis. I thought that I was all grown up, that I couldn't possibly learn anything else in this life. Then I met you and Lily and Jason and the rest of my life."

She laughed softly as she quickly dabbed at the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes, "There I going ruining my own make up. I can't thank you enough for letting me back into your life. I lied to you; I brought danger upon your family…"

Sonny held his hand up, "I knew from the first moment that I laid eyes on you that Jason had finally met his match and you have no idea how glad I was. I think I knew from that moment that the two of you were going to be together. I shouldn't have let you walk away Elizabeth, neither of us should, we both should have protected you more. You were always a part of this family."

"Look what I did to it. I almost got you killed."

"I let you walk back into that monster's arms."

"And if we continue to do this all night, we're going to be here for Elizabeth's nineteenth birthday," Lily smiled as she entered the room in a full length red dress, "The limo is waiting and the two of you just need to hug and admit that fate brought us all here for a reason. That is how Sonny and I got together, fate, because he's as bullheaded as Jason Morgan."

Elizabeth laughed softly, "I'll take that, fate. Fate brought me to the best parents a child could ever have. Thank you both for everything."

"You're welcome," Lily smiled, "I have your wrap downstairs. I believe that Johnny and Lu are already there and have opened the bar. You need to keep a better watch on that bodyguard of yours."

"It has nothing to do with my bodyguard," Sonny scowled, "It has everything to do with that woman of his."

"We are evil creatures aren't we?" Lily laughed softly, "Elizabeth, are you coming?"

Elizabeth took one last look at herself in the mirror and then at the room she had spent the past year of her life in. She had more happy memories in this one room than she did with the family that had raised her. It was heart wrenching and bittersweet all in the same moment.

"Elizabeth, I'm sure Jason is waiting," Sonny smiled from the doorway.

Elizabeth smiled back, "I'm coming Dad."

Sly nursed his third beer of the evening as his eyes floated back towards the door. He was here because Elizabeth invited him and he knew that if he didn't show up she was going to hand him his own head on a silver platter.

He received a glare from his cousin when he walked into the place. It didn't matter that he and Lu shared the same bloodlines, Sly had hurt her best friend and she was going to make sure that he was aware of it. Johnny trying to smooth things over didn't work. The little tart slammed his bottle down in front of him and told him not to choke on it. Her eyes then softened somewhat before she turned away again. Sly just muttered a curse and started to drink.

Here he was an hour later, his eyes trained on the door as he waited for Elizabeth to arrive. He was going to watch her blow out her candles and then he would make some excuse as to why he would have to leave. He was sure that he could meet up with Elizabeth later to give her card which had a few hundreds casually slipped inside of it. He did not want to be there when Jason arrived and he certainly didn't want to spend anymore time than necessary with his angry cousin. That and he was still hoping to avoid Emily.

It had been a week since the incident in his room at Kelly's and the damn woman still haunted his dreams. There were nights when a cold shower wouldn't suffice and he was tempted to make a trip down to Courtland Street to pick up a hooker. In the end Sly knew it wouldn't help. He would only be thinking of Emily when he took a whore to bed. It would be her long brown locks tickling his chest, it would be her chocolate eyes glazing over with passion and it would be her voice moaning his name in their moments of pleasure.

Sly quickly downed the rest of his beer and knocked his knuckles on the bar, motioning for another. He rolled his eyes when he saw Lu walking towards him with a Guinness and a smirk on her face. Johnny stood by the tap watching them both.

"You just might be able to redeem yourself here, Eckert," Lu said as she handed him the beer and took away the empty bottle, "Here comes Em now."

Sly saw Emily approaching the bar, the smile on her face was directed at the laughing O'Brien's who were now arguing over whether or not Lu should be drinking. Sly released his hold on his beer and slowly started to stand up as she came closer, decked out in a chocolate gown that was a perfect match to her eye color.

"Don't get up on my account," Emily said as she slid onto the barstool next to Sly, "Hey you two. Can you tear yourself away from each other and get me a soda?"

"A soda?" Johnny asked looking at his wife, "Do we have that?"

"Yes," Lu said pulling Johnny away from the tap, "It's in the back."

"Lu, I don't think it…" he smiled at Emily and Sly as he was drug off by Lu, "It's in the back. We'll be right out."

"Subtle," Emily murmured as she turned away from Sly and looked towards the door.

Sly watched her move further away from him, physically and emotionally. He knew that he should have never touched her. He should have never even thought about it. Not only did he have Morgan breathing down his neck and watching his every move, he had lost one of his best friends because he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

"Em," he said quietly as he reached out to touch her only to retreat quickly, "Emily, I just…what happened…what didn't happen…"

"There's no need to stumble over an apology, Sly." Emily said as she turned back towards him, "You didn't throw yourself at me; the roles were reversed."

She turned away from him again, looking down at her manicured nails. He felt something inside of him twist, that knife again, burning and aching from the pain that he caused her. He wanted to make it right, he wanted to tell her that everything would be okay but he knew that he couldn't. Nothing was every okay in the life of Sly Eckert.

There was only one thing left to do.

"Emmy," he said as he slid off of his barstool and moved closer to her, his hand reaching out and touching her bare shoulder, "Emmy, I am sorry. The last thing that I ever wanted to do was break your heart."

She turned towards him, pain, tears reflecting in those beautiful brown eyes, "Don't apologize, Sly," she whispered as she moved away from him, "At least I have a heart to break."

And with that, Emily walked away.

Elizabeth pushed the elevator door further open as she stormed over to Jason's penthouse. Twenty minutes ago he had called Sonny and told him that he was held up at the warehouse tying up loose ends. He said that he knew the situation could have been handled by someone else but he wanted to make sure that it was done right. He then asked her father to relay the message that he was sorry and he would be there as soon as possible.

That wasn't good enough for Elizabeth. She had Adam bring the limo around and drive her across town towards Jason's home. She would be damned if this bastard was going to ruin her night. She had waited all year for this moment, for the chance to be in his arms once again and he was going to stall it because of invoice problems. She was going to give him a problem alright.

Elizabeth tried his door and found it open. She then threw her purse on the couch and hastily took off her wrap, throwing that on his desk. Her heels clicked angrily as she made her way into the kitchen looking him.

"Morgan?" she called as she came back and looked out on the balcony, "Jason, so help me when I get my hands on you," she said as she stormed up the stairs, "You told me you were going to be there. You said we were going to blow out the candles together," she stuck her head in the spare room and the bathroom before her eyes sparked with angry and she made her way down the hall.

"You said that we were going to share a piece of chocolate cake before we took it back to the penthouse and…" Elizabeth froze as she entered Jason's room.

Jason looked somewhat surprise as she burst into his bedroom. He had pulled the comforter down on his bed and was standing by the right side of it. He was dressed in his jeans and a cornflower blue tee shirt, a color he picked out because Elizabeth had one time told him she liked the way it brought out the blue in his eyes. He felt the bowl wobble in his arm as the last few flower pedals fell from his fingers and scattered across the bed.

"You said something about roses," he said quietly as he put the bowl down on the nightstand.

She did, all those months ago, on the bridge when Jason was finally coming to terms with the loss of their baby. He remembered her off handed comment about roses and candles. They too were placed throughout the room but had yet to be lit. The roses were strewn across the bed, pedals in all colors, all done by the man standing across the room for her.

"I can't believe you…" Elizabeth said softly as she bit her lip and tried hard to prevent the tears from falling over her lids. This man could not get anymore amazing.

"Honestly? Me either," he said as he made his way around the bed towards her, "I just wanted to make sure that this night was a night you weren't going to forget and I…" he looked back at the bed and then back towards Elizabeth, "I'm sure you've never had a time…" he cleared his throat as he looked down at his bare feet, "I wanted it to be special for you, Elizabeth."

"You have…" she smiled as the tears overwhelmed her and slowly started to slide down her cheeks, "You have now idea how much I love you. I can't…I can't even put it into words," she whispered as she reached for him and he moved closer.

"You look beautiful," he said as he slid his arm around her waist and his fingers danced along the naked skin on her back. He smiled as he reached up with his free hand and brushed a curl out of his face, "I'm glad I arranged things the way I did because had I seen you earlier, I wouldn't have let you leave the penthouse."

Elizabeth laughed softly, "Arranged things?"

He nodded, "Sonny was supposed to give me thirty minutes."

"Yeah well I told Adam to step on it," she said as her hands slid up his chest, "I couldn't wait to see you, to kill you…" she bit her lip as her eyes met his, "To make love to you."

"Elizabeth…" he breathed as he moved his face closer towards her, cupping her cheek with his warm palm, "I've imagined this moment so many times. You can't…"

"I can," she whispered pressing her cheek against his hand, "Please don't make me wait another minute more."

Jason brought his other hand up to her cheek and closed the space between them, pressing his lips against hers. He curved his head slightly and let his mouth mold with hers as he felt her arms wrap around his waist and pulled his lower body up against her own. This was the moment that he had been waiting for the past twelve months and he didn't think that it could get any better than this.

He felt her sigh against his mouth and he opened his slightly to slide his tongue out and run it along the seam of her lips. She moaned softly before opening her mouth and welcoming him in, letting her warm tongue dance with his. His hands started to move from her face, across her naked shoulders, down along her back towards the flare in her skirt where his calloused fingers gripped the pieces of satin.

Elizabeth stood up on her toes as much as she could in her expensive heels and pressed her eager body against his own. She threaded her fingers through his hair as the kiss became more heated, more intense while the two of them battled for control. His fingers were around her waist now, stopping here and there to massage her through her dress before he pulled away from her and turned his head as he gasped for air.

She placed damp kisses along his cheek, his jaw line, moving along towards his chin until she reached his Adam's apple. Her teeth nipped at it gently and then her tongue flicked out and laved it, soothing the red mark that she left in her wake. Her fingers moved from his hair to his broad shoulders, skimming across the expanse before they came to rest on his pectorals. She gave him a small smile, as her blue eyes met his own, when her nails gently scratched him through his tee shirt. She then stepped back and looked at him.

This was what the past year had been like for him. He always stood back, allowing Elizabeth the control, allowing her, as she was right now, to devour him with those sapphire eyes while her tongue danced along her own lips. She then reached out tentatively, almost nervously, as she started to pull his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. Slowly, his shirt was being pushed up over his body, over the well defined abs, the dusty colored nipples, the broad shoulders, to the arms that were outstretched. He took over for her where she could no longer reach and tossed his tee shirt onto his dresser when he was done. There her stood before her, shirt less, as she leaned towards him and placed one tiny kiss of his rapidly beating heart.

Elizabeth had thought that she was the only one there tonight with nerves that needed to be quelled but it seemed as if her lover was as anxious to please her as she was him. She placed another kiss over his heart before she started placing tiny butterfly kisses along his chest. Her fingers were running along his naked waist, her nails tickling him slightly as they moved along his abs towards his back. She could feel his patience nearing its end. She could feel the resistance fading. His hands were soon in her hair, twisting themselves in her dark locks as he pulled her lips away from his chest and towards his own.

He devoured her again, making love to her with his mouth as his hands roamed up and down her back. His fingers searched the many straps that were on her dress, looking for the one that would undo the material and allow himself to feast upon her beautiful body. When he sighed in frustration he felt Elizabeth pulling away, felt her hands over his as she guided him down towards the bottom of the stain material. With her as lead, they started moving back upwards, taking the dress with him and inch by inch, Elizabeth was revealed.

She had on a pair of nude colored thigh high stocks that had a delicate lace top. As he moved the dress higher he could see that she was wearing midnight blue satin boy short panties along with a matching strapless bra. Her head disappeared for a mere moment as he pulled the dress over it and gripped it in one firm hand. And there she stood, wanting, waiting, weeping for him.

Jason let the dress slide to the floor and he pulled her back into his arms.

Elizabeth felt herself being lifted to the floor and she instinctively wrapped her legs around Jason's waist as he turned their bodies and carried her towards the bed that rested a few feet away. She felt herself being lowered slowly to the mattress, amongst the cotton sheets and the rose peddles, as Jason's lips continued to move over hers. His body weight was a welcome comfort as he settled between her legs and pulled back slowly.

He stared at her, with those intense blue eyes, eyes that she fell into almost immediately. She smiled at him when he leaned down and placed a kiss on her nose and when he pulled back again Elizabeth pulled him down for a sweet kiss.

"I love you," she whispered as her fingers traced his jaw line.

Jas smiled at her, tenderly, like a man head over heels, "I love you."

She felt the tears gather at her eyes again but they were soon replaced with the emotion that was titled passion. Jason was kissing her again, his hands roaming her body as his lips made a downward path along her skin. He was touching every inch that he could possible reach. His teeth were tugging on her earlobe before his tongue lapped at it, then he moved his way over towards her neck where he was nibbling slightly and then blowing on the wounded areas with his warm breath. His hands were skirting around her waist before they started moving upwards, towards the satin material that covered her breasts. She sighed and moaned when one large palm reached its destination.

Jason's palm massaged the satin material that covered her breast. He could feel her nipple hardening beneath his touch and soon his lips moved from her neck down to the creamy swells. He leaned slightly on his knees as he propped himself up and started to pry the material away from her, allowing him to view the beauty that was Elizabeth. Her lips were parted, her eyes were closed and she was mewling softly as his fingers danced along her tender flesh. He leaned back down and his mouth latched eagerly onto one of her nipples, sucking on it until he could feel it become swollen under his ministrations. Then he nipped at it gently, flicking at it with his tongue until he could feel her squirming beneath him. Only then did he relinquish the one breast and moved towards the other.

Elizabeth moaned as her fingers dug into Jason's shoulder blades. He was torturing her exquisitely, moving back and forth between each breast, lavishing them with attention. His mouth was on fire, scorching her skin as he left a damp blaze in his wake. She felt herself panting, her leg wrapping around his denim covered one as he started to move his way downward, kissing along her smooth stomach before he nipped gently at her belly button which caused a small giggle to burst forth. She frowned when he moved himself away from her.

Jason was kneeling before the bed, his fingers fumbling with the ties on her shoes as he tried to get them off. Once he managed to mentally calm himself down he managed to remove them and placed them by the side of the bed. His fingers then skimmed along her ankle before they danced up her leg and along her thigh to reach the hose that she had on. Inch by inch he slowly pulled the one down her leg, then the other, throwing them over his shoulder before he smiled wickedly at her. The next thing he reached for was her satin panties.

Elizabeth adored the undergarments that she had purchased specifically for this evening and she was grateful that Jason was removing them instead of ripping them off as was his habit with her. When her panties had reached her ankle and he was pulling them off one foot at a time she leaned up and unhooked her bra, peeling it away from her skin and letting it fall over the side of her bed.

He started to kiss his way back up her body, skimming over her knee, up her thigh and across her stomach. Her body was twisting beneath his as her sighs and moans fell from between her parted lips. He was hovering above her again, kissing her until he felt her hands pushing on him, then her body shifting as she started to roll to her side.

"My turn," she whispered with a smile as he was laid back on the bed.

Jason watched as the brunette beauty placed kisses all along his naked chest. Her curls were tickling his chest as her fingers were dancing across his abs and hips. He let his head fall back onto the bed as his fingers gripped those colorful peddles, crushing them. She was a vixen when she wanted to be and right now her tiny fingers had found the button on his jeans. It was undone in a mere second and then his zipper was being pulled down.

Elizabeth bit her lip as she continued to undress Jason. She could hear his loud moans from above her as she released him from the confining jeans that he was wearing. She sat up on her knees and started to tug them down, receiving help when he raised his hips. She decided to go with both pieces at once and took his boxers as well. She laughed when he started to kick the offending material off and slid towards the edge of the bed, pushing the denim and cotton to the floor. Then she turned back at him and gasped. She had forgotten how large this man really was but she never forgot what it was like to feel him inside of her. Reaching out, Elizabeth wrapped her tiny hand around him and moved it slowly up and down Jason's length.

He could feel his short nails digging into his palms as he tried to restrain himself while she tentatively touched him. Never once had Elizabeth been this gentle. Their lovemaking had always been fierce, passionate but tonight it was different, it was actually love and it wasn't going to last long if her fingers continued their ministrations. Grabbing her by the waist, Jason pulled her back on top of him, pulling her into another deep kiss.

Elizabeth felt Jason's hands on her back as their tongues once again met in a sweet dance. He was rolling them over again, tucking her small body under his as the sweet scent or roses surrounded her. The peddles were everywhere now, clinging to their sweaty skin as Jason pulled her leg over his hip and settled himself between her thighs. He pulled back and looked at her, love shinning through his blue eyes before he leaned down and kissed her, his tongue thrusting in her mouth at the same moment that his body thrust into her heat.

It was warm, explosive, everything that she had remembered. He filled her in a way that no man ever had, in a way that no man ever would. She wrapped her arms around him, bringing him closer, pulling his chest against hers as they bodies molded to fit one another. They were like two puzzles pieces sliding into place.

They bodies soon became in tune with one another, their thrust becoming more furious, their patience waning as they both reached for the paradise they only received in one another's arms. It burst upon them, the ecstasy washing over them in waves and they collapsed in one another's arms.

A few rose peddles drifted to the floor, the large candles still stood unlit and Jason and Elizabeth had finally come home.


	44. Chapter 44

Elizabeth moaned softly as she twisted in bed. She was slowly being pulled out of her wonderful dream and she fought it every step of the way. Her body was on fire, her veins felt like hot lava and her toes were curling with the sensation that was going through her. It was as if someone were providing her with more pleasure than she could stand. When she felt a sharp pain between her thighs she blinked her eyes open with a gasp.

She looked down to find that Jason's head was buried between her thighs and he was doing delicious things to her with his mouth. She moaned again as his slid his tongue along that oh so sensitive bud. She fought with the sensations as she reached down and slid her fingers through his spiky hair.

"Jason…no…" she moaned but it was useless, instead of pushing him away she was only pulling him closer.

His hands had slid under her backside and lifted her up as he brought his mouth closer to her. He devoured her all the while wondering why he hadn't done this sooner. She tasted sweet and she wept for him like honey. It was delicious nectar, a taste he knew he'd always want more of.

His teeth gently scrapped along her before he sucked the tiny bud back into his mouth until he heard Elizabeth moaning loudly and begging him to stop, for fear that she couldn't take anymore. He wouldn't ease up. He wanted to push her over to the edge so he rotated, using both his tongue as his teeth as he lapped at her juices.

Elizabeth released her hold from his hair and moved them back towards the sheets, where her fingers twisted around the cotton. Her heart was thundering, pounding in her ears, her breaths were coming in shorter gasps and her body was tightening. She could feel it the explosion building as Jason continued his torment. He moved one hand from her backside and slid a finger inside of her, working in the same rhythm as his tongue.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shouted out his name as the dam broke and spilled forth into Jason's welcome mouth. Tiny waves of pleasure were still rolling through her body until he moved from between her thighs. She was panting when he settled himself down beside her with a smile on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he slid his hand across her stomach.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and his smile quickly disappeared when he saw the pool of tears that were gathered there. When he woke up this morning and found that she was still sleeping an idea flitted through his mind but he wasn't aware that what it did would bring her to tears. He wanted to give her pleasure, not pain.

"Elizabeth," he whispered as he moved to brush some hair from her face.

"I'm okay," she smiled as her heart started to continue its normal beat, "I'm okay that was just…it was a little…" she laughed nervously as she felt her face flame.

"What?" he asked as she tried to look away but he brought her face back so that her eyes met his, "Elizabeth, we've done practically everything but that and you've even reciprocated with me. What happened that…?"

"No one has ever done that before," she said quietly before she nibbled on her bottom lip. She sighed before she slid one arm around his naked waist and buried her head against his chest, "Elizabeth Corinthos, woman of the world, has never done…that before. The men were more concerned about their own pleasure than they were with mine, so…"

Jason pulled her back so he could look at her, "I'm sorry. I didn't know," he placed a soft kiss to her forehead, "I would have waited until were fully awake and able to enjoy all of it."

"Jason!" she gasped as she hit him in the chest with her tiny fist while her face flamed again.

He chuckled as he grabbed her hand and brought to his lips, "I'm glad. I'm glad that no one else shared that with you," he smiled as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her lips, "I'm glad that you saved that for me."

Elizabeth beamed up at him, "You know I have to return the favor right?"

Jason caught her roaming hand as it moved around his hip, "And I'm expecting you too, when we get in the shower, because we have a lot of things to do today."

"Oh really, Morgan?" she asked, "What would those things be?"

"I have to meet with Sonny in about an hour," he said, "And you have to go to your room to start packing. I made sure there was plenty of drawer space for you to move your things into."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" she asked pushing him away and sliding out of the bed, "You have no idea how long I've been wanting my key back."

He smirked at her as he slid out of bed and stood there, his passion for her clearly evident. He loved the sparkle in her eyes, the way she licked her lips as she backed slowly into the master bathroom.

"Is that all you've been waiting for, Elizabeth?"

"Well I guess there are some other things," she sighed dramatically and then burst into a fit of laughter as he chased her into the bathroom.

"I was just about to throw your breakfast down the garbage disposal," Lily smiled as she handed the plate to Elizabeth who had walked in the door, "And here's your chocolate milk. I'd ask what kept you so long but it's clearly written across your face. Be grateful you have me this morning and not Sonny."

Elizabeth groaned as she moved towards the dining room table and sat down, "It was cute to tease me when you guys weren't my parents but this is like having this conversation with Emily. It's kind of weird."

Lily laughed as she sat down across from Elizabeth, "We decided to close down the club for you last night. We put the rest of the cake in the fridge in case you wanted to have some but I need to fair warn that Johnny and Lu took half of it home."

"Sounds like Lu," Elizabeth chuckled as she ate a piece of bacon, "I'm sorry I left last night but I wanted to clobber Jason for not showing up and then…"

"Yeah," Lily smiled, "I think that was the first time in Sly's life that he was grateful for Jason making you mad. He was out the door not a minute after you. I'm sensing there are some issues going on between him and a few other people."

"Sly always has issues," Elizabeth said taking a drink of her chocolate milk, "I'm glad that Sonny decided to move him into the other penthouse. I really don't think that Kelly's is a good place for him. He's too alone there."

"Hmm yeah, speaking of moving," Lily said, "I'm assuming that you are over here to pack up your things?"

Elizabeth pushed some eggs around on her plate before she looked up at Lily, "You don't think Sonny is going to be upset do you? You guys have no idea how happy I am that I found you and that you made me a part of your family. You are still going to be considered my parents, nothing is going to change that, my name is Elizabeth Corinthos. It's just that Jason…well Jason…"

"I lived with my father for over twenty years," Lily said, "You think he would have wanted me out of the house but when he found out that I was leaving him to move in with Sonny Corinthos, it was like the world was unraveling, Elizabeth," she smiled as she reached over and squeezed her hand, "It's always difficult for a father to let go of his daughter but I can assure you that Sonny is going to be very happy for you. Jason is like a brother to him. I don't think he would trust any other man with your heart."

"I love him for that," Elizabeth said, "I love that he made it very clear to Jason where the boundaries where and I love that he gave me enough space but still kept a leash on me. I loved that he wouldn't allow just any man to be welcomed into my life. The man who donated his sperm to create me sold me to pay off some debts. I will never be able to thank you and Sonny enough for all that you have done for me."

"You've done a lot for us too, Elizabeth," Lily said, "You brought a little more joy into our lives and what you've done for Jason is…he never thought he'd be able to fall in love again. Not only was he able to, but he was able to find someone who is willing to accept him for the man that he is. I don't think I've seen a more perfect pair," she winked, "That is, except for Sonny and me."

Elizabeth laughed as she pushed away her half eaten breakfast, "A perfect pair."

"It's only been a day honey," Lily said softly, "Please don't tell me there's already trouble in paradise?"

"No. No there isn't," Elizabeth said, "It took so long for Jason to see me as more than a child and then last night when we finally…" she cleared her throat, "I'm afraid that he's always going to view me as a little too young. I'm afraid that I'm going to be ready to do a lot of things before he is."

"Such as?" Lily asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said pushing her chair away from the table and standing up, "Move into a house, buy a dog, have children," she looked at Lily, "Get married."

"Ah," Lily said as she stood up from the table and walked towards Elizabeth, "You're ready to get married again."

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, "Maybe. I mean, it can't be any worse than the last time now."

Lily laughed softly, glad that Elizabeth was somehow able to joke about her former life, "Sweetie, Jason saw what you went through. I'm sure that he doesn't want to rush you into anything. It was only a year ago when you were released from that hell you were living in. I know that you think…"

"Oh please don't be one of those people who tells me what I think," Elizabeth said.

Lily smiled, "I know that you have expressed your love for Jason and I know that you want to spend the rest of your life with him. However, Elizabeth, just because you say that you're ready doesn't necessarily mean you are," she forged on when she heard Elizabeth sigh, "I have no doubt that you are in love with Jason and I have even less doubt about his feelings for you. You two are crazy about one another and I think you are going to spend the rest of your lives together. I just think that for now, because of your history, you should take it one day at a time."

"I hate waiting," Elizabeth mumbled, "You have no idea how long this past year has been."

Lily laughed softly as she pulled Elizabeth into a hug, "Jason Morgan isn't going anywhere. I can assure you of that. Now, let me get rid of this and then we'll put Max's muscles to good use. Make those boxes as heavy as you can get them."

Elizabeth laughed as she watched Lily head into the kitchen, "Hey Lily."

"Yes?" Lily asked turning.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said quietly, "Thank you for my life."

Lily shook her head, "Thank you Elizabeth for coming into ours."

"I'm sorry that I'm late," Jason said as he closed Sonny's office door behind him.

"I figured you would be," Sonny said as he pushed a cup of Kelly's coffee towards Jason, "I just got here a few minutes ago. I stopped by to get you this."

"Thank you," Jason said as he sat down and took a sip of the hot liquid. He hoped that moments like this wouldn't always be this awkward with Sonny but he was going to have to get used to it, now the man sitting across from him was more than his mentor, he was Elizabeth's father.

"Alright," Sonny said, "The numbers for the week."

"Actually," Jason said, "I was wondering if we could talk about something else first," he cleared his throat, "I was wondering if we could talk about Elizabeth," when Sonny didn't say anything Jason continued, "You know that I'd like her to move back in with me."

Sonny shrugged, "I have no problem with it. I mean I am going to miss her. I'm going to miss family night, but she's right across the hall so I can drag her back every Wednesday night. Hey, I can invite Eckert too." Sonny laughed but Jason didn't.

"This is more than just asking her to move in with me," Jason said and licked his suddenly dry lips, "I want…I would like to ask for Elizabeth's hand in marriage."

Sonny closed the file folder in front of him and sat back in his chair. He stared at his enforcer in front of him as he ran his hand over his cheek. He expected that he would be helping Elizabeth move today but he never expected this.

"This could be too soon for her," Jason said, "She was unable to enjoy her teenage years. She was forced to grow up in a mafia world. She was made to strip, she had to marry a man at the age of sixteen, I know all this. I've thought about it and I…I think about her, about all the things I've said and I'm not saying that we have to get married tomorrow but I'd like to give her a symbol showing her that I mean it, that I meant every word."

"Why are you asking me?" Sonny asked.

"You're her father now," Jason said, "Before that you were…" he looked away from Sonny's boring eyes, "I wanted you to hear what I had to say and I wanted your opinion on it as both my friend and Elizabeth's father."

"As Elizabeth's father I'm going to tell you that if you hurt her emotionally or physically I'm going to have to start looking for a new enforcer because you will no longer exist," Sonny said quietly, "As a friend I think that you should show the woman you love just how much she means to you."

Jason sat back in his chair and took another sip of his coffee, "I don't need a ring or a service to know that I'm committed to Elizabeth. I am going to spend the rest of my life with her. From Lily however, from the way you are with her, I know that women like stuff like this. Elizabeth has also told me a few things."

"Did she tell you that she wanted a big diamond?" Sonny asked with his dimples revealed.

"No," Jason said shaking his head, "We never talked about marriage. I don't think either of us wanted to broach that subject. We did talk about spending our lives together but never mentioned sharing vows. It's something that she needs. It's something that I'm going to give her."

"How do you know she needs it?" Sonny asked as he watched Jason stand up from his chair.

He gave Sonny a small smile, "I just know. You wouldn't mind if I postponed our meeting until tomorrow do you? There's an errand I have to run."

"The meeting can wait," Sonny said as Jason opened his office door, "Oh and Jason?"

"Yes?"

"I'd be honored for you to take my daughter's hand in marriage," Sonny said.

Sly rolled his head back and forth before he picked up another box and moved it into his new penthouse. He barely had anything at Kelly's because it was such a small space but when Sonny told him that he would be moving into the other available penthouse Sly went out and bought everything that he could, including a brand new widescreen television set with surround sound. His thinking was that he had plenty of money and no one else to spend it on so why not piss away on expensive electronics?

Groaning he moved another box into his penthouse, this time by the pushing of his feet. He turned his head and stepped a little into the hallway when he heard the elevator ding. He was hoping that it was Sonny or another guard checking in so he could ask for a little help.

"Hey…"

Emily stepped off of the elevator and turned in the direction of the voice that she heard. She was surprised to find Sly standing near an open penthouse door. The white shirt that he had on was clinging to him like a second skin and a bead of sweat fell from his forehead to the floor. She swallowed and took one step towards him.

"I was looking for Jason," she said, "I wasn't aware that you were moving."

"Sonny just spoke to me about it a few nights ago," Sly said, "Really didn't say much to anyone about it. I'm not one for big fusses."

"Right," Emily said nodding, "Do you know if Jason's in?"

"He went out a while ago and I'm not sure if he came back," Sly said as he ran his fingers through his damp hair, "I've been in and out all morning and we're not really on speaking terms anyway, just basically a gruff hello cause Lizzie makes him."

"Yeah," Emily said crossing her arms across her chest, "I wasn't sure if he was still giving me the ride to the airport tomorrow so I wanted to double check. I figured I'd say goodbye to Lily while I was here."

"Goodbye?" Sly asked, "Are you going on some trip?"

"I'm leaving town," Emily said, "I'm moving to Europe. I'll be going to Oxford for the rest of the semester and then I may take some time off to travel. I haven't really figured everything out yet I just know that I haven't been happy here since I returned so…" she forced a smile, "If you see Elizabeth, tell her I stopped by. I know you won't tell Jason."

Sly blinked as he watched her turn around and head back towards the elevator. This was everything that he wanted. He wanted her to stay out of his life. He wanted her to walk away from him. Now she was and he felt like someone was reaching inside of his chest and ripping his heart out.

"Emmy wait," he said moving towards the elevator and putting his hand on the door so it wouldn't open, "Hold on."

She turned towards him, looking at him with those dark eyes, eyes that he simply wanted to get lost in. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her, like he did that night before Jason interrupted him, like that night in the penthouse, that night that he stepped back and found blood all over her hands.

Sly stepped back and gave her a smile, "Europe won't know what hit 'em. Have a wonderful time, Emily."

Emily reached over with her finger and pressed the door open button so the elevator wouldn't leave the floor. She stared at him, at the haunted look in his eyes and realized that the best friend that she knew was no longer there. She blinked away her forthcoming tears.

"Can you give me any reason to stay, Sly?" she whispered, "Any reason at all?"

He hesitated and then took another step back, "No Emmy, I can't."

She removed her finger from the button and let the silver doors close in his face. She didn't even utter the words goodbye. Sly watched the numbers continue to move downward, until they reached the bottom floor, and then he turned back to his task, only to be encountered by Elizabeth.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop," he said picking up the last box and walking into his penthouse.

"I can't believe you just did that," Elizabeth said quietly as she stood at the open doorway, "I can't believe you just let her walk away. Sly, she is…"

"You don't know the history between me and Emily," Sly said, "I know that we're close but we're not that close so please, don't try and tell me what Quartermaine means to me. I don't try and pretend to understand your relationship with Morgan."

"If you think for one second that you're going to get away with talking to me like that you are sadly mistaken," Elizabeth said, "And I don't need Jason to shut your mouth. I'll slap the taste out of it myself. You just let the best thing that ever happened to you walk away."

"I know that, Lizzie!" he yelled as he gripped the edge of his door, "Don't you think I know that? She'll be much happier in Europe."

"Sly…"

"I watched you lie dying right in front of my eyes, Lizzie," Sly said, "I watched my father die right in front of my eyes. I'll be damn if I watch Emmy die too."

Then Sly slammed the door right in her face and Elizabeth was cut off from the next thing she was going to say. Growling in frustration she made her way back over to Jason's penthouse. She smiled as she turned the knob on the open door; it was now her and Jason's penthouse, their penthouse. That made her feel better.

As soon as she walked through the door she noticed that she stepped on something. Bending down she found a small white envelope that had the word 'Key' written across of it. She grinned as she opened it and moved over toward his desk. She was finally getting her key back. Dumping the contents onto the desk Elizabeth saw one silver key fall out, followed by a diamond ring.

Elizabeth dropped the key and the envelope and grabbed the small one karat diamond on the table. It was simple, just a regular princess cut with a white gold band. Nothing large, nothing fancy, but everything Jason. She looked up when she heard something and noticed that Jason was in the room, leaning against the pool table, with a stick in his hand.

"I thought you might like a game?" he asked.

Elizabeth looked at him and then back down at the ring, the glittering diamond that was winking at her. It was much smaller than the last one she received and she was grateful. It was also given to her by a man that she was crazy about. She reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head.

"No."

"No?" Jason asked as he stood up straight and put the stick down on the table.

"No," she said looking at him with a smile, "I am not playing pool with you until you get over here and put this thing on my finger."

Jason laughed as he walked towards her and took the diamond from her hand. He slid the ring onto her left ring finger and then he leaned down to kiss her, a soft gentle kiss that soon turned into something more.

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you," Elizabeth whispered, "And I'm going to make sure that you love every minute of it."

"Fine by me," Jason grinned as he watched her pull his tee shirt out of his jeans, "I thought we were going to play pool."

"We're going to play something, Morgan," she said pushing him back on the leather couch, "But pool is the last thing that is on my mind."

Elizabeth then kicked off her sneakers and reached for Jason's leather jacket that was slung on the back of his chair. She slipped her arms through it and then proceeded to climb up on the coffee table where she started to swing and sway her hips.

Jason settled back on the couch with a smile on his face. He silently thanked fate for bringing Elizabeth Webber-Corinthos through the club door one snowy night. It was one hell of a ride with his teenager stripper but he wouldn't take back one minute. Everything that happened, every good, every bad, brought him to this moment, to his twisted angel.

_If you liked Twisted Angel, please check out the sequel Tainted. It continues on with Sly Eckert and his demons._


End file.
